Separate Ways
by MichaelConnor
Summary: AU. After Miya's death, Tatsuya and Miyuki were separated with Tatsuya being adopted by Maya. The result? The Shiba siblings don't get along well. This is a re-write of the anime series with no incest, and heavy Tatsuya x Mayumi. Will stay VERY SIMILAR to the anime for the first arc, but situations are different. Rated T for descriptive deaths. Complete.
1. Enrollment Part 1

**[Episode 1: Enrollment - Part 1]**

Magic. This product of fairy tales was systematized as an actual technology at the end of the twenty-first century. Due to the drastic climate cooling that began around the year 2030, the food supply dwindled. Energy sources were frequently fought over, and in 2045, World War Three broke out, lasting for twenty years. The population plummeted to three billion. The fact that this conflict didn't escalate to a thermonuclear war was entirely due to the global solidarity of the world's magic technicians. And now it's the end of the twenty-first century. Under these tenuous circumstances, every nation is competing in a race to develop magicians.

When magic first aroused the public interest, they only knew what now is called "Ancient Magic," in other words, powerful spells invoked by lengthy incantations. These "magic sequences" became longer and longer as magic engineers began to experiment with spell-building, eventually discovering the Idea Dimension. These technicians, realizing the similarities between the effects of electrons in the real world and the effects of psions in the Idea Dimension, built the first Casting Assistant Device, or CAD. This device would store potential spells as an "Activation Sequence," a block of pure data that describes the spell's effect on the target's Eidos, or its counterpart in the Idea Dimension. A magician would select their intended spell using the CAD, and then "feed" the CAD a stream of psions, which would be used by the CAD to convert the Activation Sequence into a Magic Sequence. The Magic Sequence, once built, would be activated by the Magic Calculation Area of a magician's brain, and the spell would then take effect.

Due to the Magic Calculation Area being a part of the cerebrum, there was no need to enter variables manually into the spells. The caster would either imagine or visually observe their target, and the Magic Calculation Area would automagically input the correct variables into the spell, such as duration, target coordinates, and output level.

As all of these technical systems were in development, magic spells began to be classified by their effects. The four main categories, Systematic, Non-Systematic, Outer-Systematic, and Perception, are divided into many sub-categories. Often, spells are often classified on their targeting system, as in Single Target, Multiple Target, and Area-of-Effect (AOE) magic. However, because the majority of magic in the final days of the twenty-first century is Systematic, that classification has come to be synonymous with Modern Magic.

* * *

 **~August 4th, 2092~**

"Tatsuya, your sister is vacationing in Okinawa. A helicopter is waiting for you outside."

"I'll head there right away, oba-sama."

"Tatsuya...I told you..."

"Oh, right, okaa-sama."

* * *

 **~A Few Hours Later~**

Shiba Miyuki watched on a large display as her brother took aim. She barely recognized him under the obsidian-black combat suit. After their mother died one year ago, their oba-sama had taken custody of Tatsuya and had raised him as her own. Miyuki never understood that. He was, after all, a defect. It should have been her that their oba-sama favored.

She saw the activation sequence expand along the barrel of the sniper rifle. He fired. The bullet arced towards the invading armada until it was nothing more than a flash of light in the distance. Her brother holstered the rifle as missiles were launched from the Great Asian Alliance fleet. He carefully made his right hand into the shape of a gun, and pointed it at the nearest missile. One by one, each missile vanished in a puff of blue smoke. Then Tatsuya aimed his 'finger gun' towards the ships.

Tatsuya targeted the special high-density bullet that he had fired. In just a second, it would be in the middle of the approaching fleet. He activated Material Burst, a spell which had only ever existed in theory up until that point. The high-density bullet was immediately converted into energy following the equation E=MC^2, resulting in a blast the same size as a nuclear warhead would have produced. The fleet was destroyed, no, it was wiped completely off the map by the overwhelming energy surge.

* * *

 **~April 3rd, 2095~**

A woman's voice was heard over the loudspeaker.

"Rehersals for the matriculation ceremony will begin soon. All concerned parties are asked to gather in the auditorium."

They were standing outside the main building of National Magic University Affiliated First High School, more commonly known as First High. They had met for the first time in three years during the entrance exams, and here they met again. Miyuki suspected there would be many such meetings in the future, as they could not avoid each other during class. It would be rude, no doubt, but it would also raise suspicions. Then she looked at the insignia on his shoulder. Or rather, the lack thereof.

"Oh...so, you're a Course 2 student?"

"Yes. Practical skills in magic are given more weight than paper test scores here."

"That must be, otherwise you would be the incoming class representative, and not me."

There was a brief look of surprise in his eyes, but it was so fast she almost missed it. _"That's right, he hasn't seen my development in these last years,"_ she thought to herself. She wasn't sad that he hadn't been there...after all, it didn't do well for the future leader of the Yotsuba family to be seen in the company of a defect. _"No,"_ she thought, _"he's not a defect. I've seen him fight. He's just...not on my level, in terms of practical skills."_ In truth, she didn't know what opinion she should have of her brother, but she was glad that he wasn't in her class. That way, she wouldn't have to confront her feelings every day for the next three years.

"...Miyuki? Are you okay?"

His question startled her. She had been lost in thought, not caring that she had accidentally killed the conversation.

"Yes, Tatsuya-sama, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Oh, well, try not to do that while you're on stage."

A kind, yet almost regretful smile formed on Tatsuya's face. "Anyway," he said, "hadn't you better get to the rehersals?"

"Hai!"

Miyuki hated awkward situations, and she couldn't wait to get out of there.

* * *

 **~An Hour Later~**

 _"National Magic University Affiliated First High School. The very fact that you've been permitted to enroll at this state-run institution for training young magic technicians makes you one of the elite whose rare talent in magic has been acknowledged...right? But at this school..."_ Tatsuya's thoughts were interrupted by some passing students.

"Hey, isn't that kid a Weed?"

"Here so early?"

"Someone's sure excited even though he's just a reserve!"

Tatsuya was pondering the meaning of what the students had said when another voice got his attention.

"You're a new student, aren't you? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The girl standing before him was...well, to put it simply, short. Yet her dimunitive stature did nothing to detract from her overwhelming beauty. If Tatsuya had emotions, he very well might have been attracted to this mysterious visitor. He examined her uniform, and commented to himself on his observations. _"A Course 1 upperclasswoman, huh?"_ Deciding that blending in and not causing any trouble would be the best course of action for his high school career, Tatsuya politely declined with a bow.

"No, I'm fine."

As he bowed, he noticed a CAD on her left forearm, partially hidden by her jacket's long sleeves.

"I see. Oh, I'm the President of the Student Council. My name is Saegusa Mayumi. It's written 'Nanakusa' but pronounced 'Saegusa.' Nice to meet you."

Her introduction startled Tatsuya and distracted him from the CAD on her arm. To think that he had already encountered a member of the Ten Master Clans, and of Saegusa, no less! He then realized that she was expecting an introduction as well.

"I'm...uh...My name is Shiba Tatsuya," he said as he took another slight bow.

"Shiba Tatsuya? I see, so you are-"

"President! Rehersal's starting!" A third voice injected itself into the fledgling conversation. This voice belonged to a girl who was even shorter than Saegusa Mayumi. She seemed to only notice Tatsuya after she addressed the President.

"Are you in the middle of something?" Even though this question was not directed towards Tatsuya, but Mayumi, Tatsuya was the one who responded.

"No... Excuse me." This was accompanied by a third bow, and Tatsuya walked away as both Saegusa Mayumi and the other girl looked after him.

* * *

 **~An Hour Later~**

As Tatsuya made his way towards his seat, he observed the pattern in the seating arrangements of the Course 1 and Course 2 students at the matriculation ceremony. _"The half sitting in the front are Blooms. The half in the back are weeds. No one's more aware of discrimination than the ones being discriminated against, eh?"_ His thoughts were once again interrupted by a third party.

"Excuse me..." He turned his head to see a girl with dark hair and glasses addressing him. "Is the seat next to you taken?"

"Sure, be my guest." The girl motioned, and a redheaded girl sat next to her. Then came the inevitable introductions.

"I'm Shibata Mizuki. Nice to meet you."

Normally, he wouldn't care if a girl introduced herself to him, as was the case with Saegusa Mayumi. This girl, however, was wearing glasses in an age when all vision problems had already been corrected. He introduced himself as well, careful not to let any of his suspicions show.

"I'm Shiba Tatsuya. Nice to meet you too."

"And I'm Chiba Erika! Nice, to meet you, Shiba!"

"Likewise." His steady tone did not betray the wariness he felt at meeting a member of the Hundred Families, and a family that was known for their prowess with a sword.

"But don't you think it's a cool coincidence?" Erika obviously had something in mind, and it was probably different than the coincidence Tatsuya had in mind.

"What is?" he asked.

"You know..." she said, expecting everyone to be thinking the same thing. "I mean, Shiba, Shibata, and Chiba, right? Our names almost rhyme, don't they?"

"Hey, you're right!"

"I see." Tatsuya was relieved that she wasn't talking about the other coincidence.

"Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah, I can't believe you spotted that!"

They heard a woman's voice over the loudspeaker again.

"We will now begin the matriculation ceremony for National Magic University Affiliated First High School."

* * *

 **~Later~**

"...next, the newly-enrolled students' address." Tatsuya sat up a little straigter. "Representative of the incoming class, Shiba Miyuki." Miyuki walked up to the podium and began her speech.

"As the sunlight streams gently, and the vivid cherry blossoms flutter on this gorgeous spring day, I feel so happy and honored that my wish to be admitted to the prestigious National Magic University Affiliated First High School has come true. On behalf of the incoming students, and filled with pride at being a member of First High School..."

* * *

 **~After The Ceremony~**

"Hey, Shiba!" Tatsuya was distracted from looking at his ID card by Erika's exclamation. "Want to go check out our homeroom?"

This is where things got tricky. Should he try to find Miyuki, or should he try to become friends with a daughter of the Chiba clan? She wasn't aware, but Tatsuya had notice how she reacted when she discovered they were in different classes. She wasn't sad, or angry...she was happy, and trying to hide it.

"Sure, I'll-" He was interrupted by a meek interjection.

"Tatsuya-sama?" He turned to see Miyuki trying to get his attention. Saegusa Mayumi and another Course 1 student were a couple feet behind her. He got the feeling that this meeting wasn't intentional at all. Before he got the chance to ask her, a different student spoke up.

"Um...you're Shiba Miyuki, representative of the incoming class, right?" Mizuki's nervousness was readily apparent. Miyuki turned her attention from Tatsuya to Mizuki.

"Yes, that's correct."

"You two wouldn't happen to be twins, would you?"

At this point, Tatsuya jumped in. "We get that a lot, but we're not twins. My birthday is in April, and hers is in March. We are siblings, though. How'd you know?"

"Oh, well, your demeanors...your auras...those commanding gazes of yours are quite similar." Mizuki related this information with a secretive smile, as if she was privvy to information others were not. Tatsuya, however, was not satisfied.

"If you can read someone's aura, you must have really great eyesight." At this, Mizuki blushed. He was right. She had the condition known as "Hypersensitivity to Spirit Particle Emissions," which made her dangerous to him, as she could potentially reveal his secrets. At this confirmation of his suspicions, Tatsuya turned his attention to Miyuki.

"Miyuki, are the people from the Student Council done with you?" Tatsuya's emotionless remark prompted a response from the Student Council President.

"Hello to you too, Tatsuya. But don't worry, it's all right. All we did today was introduce ourselves to her." At this act of compliance from arguably the most influencial person in the school, Saegusa Mayumi's companion spoke up.

"President!" The boy was completely ignored.

"Miyuki?"

"Yes?"

"We'll go into more detail another day. You too, Shiba." Mayumi unexpectedly brought Tatsuya into her plans. "Let's have a nice, long chat sometime." At this, Saegusa Mayumi turned around and walked away, over the objections of her colleague. The boy couldn't hide his obvious hatred of Tatsuya, no, his obvious hatred of a Weed being the subject of his President's intentions. He eventually followed suit.

"So, why don't we head out now?" Erika's attempt to lighten the mood was blocked by Miyuki.

"Actually, I have...someplace to be..." She hid her discomfort well, but Tatsuya saw straight through her. She felt weird, being around a brother she hadn't seen in three years and was supposedly defective. That he was a Weed in a highly prejudiced school didn't help at all either; she couldn't spend too much time around him, or her reputation would be ruined.

"It's fine, Miyuki." She lifted her eyes at Tatsuya's kind gesture.

"Thank you, Tatsuya-sama. Please excuse me..." And with that, the siblings parted ways once again.

* * *

 **~That Night~**

Tatsuya heard the phone ring. He was alone in the house that his oba-sama had bought for him, so he knew that the call was for him. He picked it up, and looked at the caller ID.

[Call From: Yotsuba Maya]

Tatsuya sighed. _"I don't need this right now."_ Sure, his oba-no, his okaa-sama had always been kind to him, but he knew her well enough to know that she had something up her sleeve. And yet, he couldn't say no to her. With another sigh, he picked up the phone.

"Hello, okaa-sama."

"My, my, Tatsuya, could you be any colder?"

"Please excuse me."

"You're not doing any better. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you on starting high school. I know that those people wanted you to stay and work for the company, but I appreciate your desire to grow and learn."

"Thank you, okaa-sama."

"Now, if you could do something for me, Tatsuya?"

"Of course, okaa-sama."

"Don't let your sister get into any trouble, okay? The future head of the Yotsuba can't be revealed to the world in a mug shot."

"Of course, okaa-sama."

"Tatsuya, do you know how to say anything else?"

"...of course, okaa-sama."

"Well, if you're going to be like _that_ , I'll just hang up."

And with that, the conversation between doting mother and loving son was over. Tatsuya expected that Miyuki would receive a similar call from their father and his wife, but there was no way to really know.

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

Tatsuya used an Acceleration-type Systematic spell to speed up his jog to the temple where he trained under the famous Kokonoe Yakumo. He specialized in Ninjitsu, an Ancient Magic which is a combination of martial arts and magic. As Tatsuya entered the temple, six monks dressed in white robes and with bald heads attacked him. They were tough, but by this time Tatsuya was a master of taijitsu, second only to his Sensei. After defeating the attackers, Tatsuya launched a surprise attack on Kokonoe but was blocked at the last second. The shock wave from the blow echoed throughout the courtyard.

"Good for you, Tatsuya! Now, try to beat me."

That was all the incentive that Tatsuya needed to fight. He expertly deflected each of Kokonoe's attacks, to the point where he began to gain the upper hand. But Kokonoe stopped before an end could be reached, and took a couple steps back.

"Oh, man..." he said, scratching his head. "It looks like I may not stand a chance against Tatsuya if it's strictly taijitsu..." Tatsuya took this opportunity to go on the offensive, but Kokonoe had switched from taijitsu to the Ancient Magic Ninjitsu. He blocked Tatsuya's attacks like they were nothing, and stole the offensive from Tatsuya. Tatsuya, however, used his taijitsu skills to dodge nearly all of Kokonoe's attacks, and he quickly recovered from those that he couldn't dodge. To the monks watching from the sidelines, it was clear just how good Tatsuya was at taijitsu martial arts.

The fight had come to a stalemate. Kokonoe, though, had a secret weapon, and all he needed to do was entice Tatsuya to attack. He decided there was no better strategy than being direct.

"Okay, then, come on!" He motioned Tatsuya to attack. Tatsuya took the bait.

* * *

 **~Later That Morning~**

Needless to say, Tatsuya lost the fight with Sensei Kokonoe. He was now on his way to school, having just left the school's dedicated station and walking up the promenade to the main campus. He thought that he had seen Miyuki walking the same way earlier, but maybe he had been mistaken. He found his classroom easily, and sat down and began typing as his new friends looked on with awe.

"What are you doing, Shiba?" Mizuki couldn't figure out why he was using a keyboard.

"Confirming the curriculum and registering for classes," came the prompt reply.

"At breakneck speed!" This comment came courtesy of the light-haired boy seated in front of Tatsuya. "Hey, my bad," he said. "It's kind of rare to see people using just the keyboard to enter stuff."

"Once you're used to it, it's faster this way," Tatsuya explained. It wasn't anything unique to him; anyone could learn to type quickly.

"That so? Oh, and by the way, I'm Saijo Leonhart. You can just call me Leo. I specialize in Convergence-type Fortifying Magic sequences."

"I'm Shiba Tatsuya. You can call me Tatsuya."

"Okay, Tatsuya. So what are your signature magic spells?"

"Well, I kind of such at practical skills, so I want to become a magic engineer." He didn't lie, he just evaded the question. After all, his signature spells were restricted by the Yotsuba clan. There was no use telling this boy everything. And besides, Tatsuya really did want to become a magic engineer.

"You don't say..." came the reply. "Well, you do look like a smart guy!"

"What? You're an aspiring magic engineer, Shiba?" Erika obviously wasn't aware of this, having only met Tatsuya the day before.

"Hey, Tatsuya, who's this dude?" And that's how Leo chose to address Erika.

"Whoa, did you just call me "dude" from the get-go? How rude is that?" Erika couldn't resist firing back. "You "forever alone" types are all the same!"

"What the..." Leo got out of his seat. "Who's being rude now? Don't think you can get away with it just because you're slightly good-looking!"

"Looks are important, you know," Erika countered, ignoring Mizuki's desperate pleas for peace. "Though that might not be clear to a lame guy who confuses sloppiness with the "wild" look..."

"Wh-Wh-What the-" Leo was cut off by the sound of the bell.

"Leo, just back off," said Tatsuya, cool as ever. "That's the first bell." Reluctantly, Leo sat back down as Erika grinned in mock victory.

"You too, Erika," Mizuki added. "That was going a bit far."

The two fighters sat down, and class began.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"That was fun, touring the workshops."

"I'm studying to be a magic engineer, too, so I got a lot out of that."

"Yeah, that was pretty productive, huh?" Tatsuya agreed with Erika and Mizuki, though he knew much more about CAD programming than he let on.

"I wonder if I'm up to that kind of meticulous work?" Leo wondered. He obviously knew his own limitations, but Erika thought that she knew them as well.

"Of course it's totally beyond you!"

"What did you say?" Realizing that he was sitting directly across from the individual who could be considered his worst enemy, Leo decided to ask the obvious question: "Wait a sec, why are we all having lunch together?"

"Well, I'm just having lunch with Mizuki and Tatsuya!"

It was at that moment that Miyuki hesitantly approached the group.

"Tatsuya-sama?"

"Oh, hello, Miyuki."

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, if you want to sit..."

"Here, you can take this seat, Miyuki!" Erika was quick to volunteer the spot opposite of Leo, who, having never met Miyuki before, was shocked that a Course 1 student had approached them-and the incoming class representative, no less!

"Oh, well...actually..."

"Miyuki!" This shout had come from across the room. A group of Course 1 students were standing, trays in hand, apparently waiting on Miyuki. "Let's go somewhere where there's more room," the leader said. "You shouldn't disturb them..." another chimed in.

"Oh, okay." Tatsuya couldn't believe she relented that fast-but then again, it wasn't that hard to imagine. Miyuki covered her fast exit with a brief "Please excuse me," before she went to join the other Course 1 students. Erika and Leo, however, were still confused as to what just happened.

"Huh?"

"What'd they say?"

"We should go over there and-"

"Erika. Leo. I'm done eating, so I'm heading out now," Tatsuya interjected. He didn't want his new friends getting hurt because of his family. Though, it wouldn't be the first time a Yotsuba injured someone...

"Hey-hey-Tatsuya! Wait up!"

"Tatsuya!"

* * *

 **~That Evening~**

"Just give it up already, will you?"

"There's something we want to discuss with her, that's all!"

Shouting voices could be heard near the school's front gate. Miyuki had wanted to walk home with Tatsuya, at least for a little bit, so they could talk in private. Their hopes of peace were dashed to pieces, however, upon the Course 1 students who had just arrived. Erika and Leo were now putting up a strong defense, but words wouldn't hold them off for long.

"That's right! All we need is a little of her time!"

In the midst of this, Miyuki was negotiating with her brother.

"Tatsuya-sama...might it not be better for me to just go with them?" This attitude did not surprise Tatsuya. He knew that she favored Course 1 over Course 2 students, and that he was lucky even for these brief moments.

"Anyway, didn't you hear Miyuki say that she's going home with her brother?" Mizuki, unexpectedly bold, joined the fray. "What right do you have, trying to split these two apart?"

"This is a matter that concerns 1-A! Don't go around meddling with us Blooms, you lowly Weeds!"

"We're all newly enrolled students here, remember?" Mizuki was trying to calm everyone down, but it didn't seem to be working. "Just how superior to us do you Blooms think you are at this point?"

"This isn't looking good," Tatsuya quietly commented.

"Do you want to know how superior we are?" the leader asked, with a devious smile on his face.

"Sounds entertaining," Leo replied. "Why don't you go ahead and show us, then?"

"Fine. In that case, I will show you..." He quickly drew his pistol-shaped CAD from its holster on his hip. "This is how much better we are!"

Leo lept towards the assailant. He saw the Activation Sequence shimmering along the barrel of the CAD. He might not make it in time...but then, Erika jumped right in front of him, and hit the CAD out of their opponent's hand with an extendable baton.

"At this distance, it's just faster to move my body, see?" Even though it only took a couple of seconds to translate an Activation Sequence into a Magic Sequence, the delay was still long enough for Erika to strike using a physical weapon.

"I agree with you," Leo began, "But weren't you just about to smash my hand, too?" He should have expected a sarcastic reply, but he didn't.

"Goodness, no, I would never do such a thing!"

"Don't you dare try to laugh it off!"

"Ridiculous..." Their attacker couldn't believe that his opponents were bickering with each other in the middle of a fight. Another boy raised his CAD and selected a spell.

"You, a mere Weed..."

As he did this, a girl who was standing over to the side also activated her CAD. "All of you - stop it!"

This was dangerous. The girl had activated an attack-type spell with her CAD. Tatsuya used another unique spell of his, Elemental Sight, to peer into the idea dimension and find out which spell the girl was launching. And what he saw settled his nerves.

Fortunately, though, a third party intervened in the conflict-a psion bullet impacted the girl's CAD, destroying the Activation Sequence and preventing her from launching the spell. The other boy also cancelled his own Magic Sequence, and all eyes turned towards the newcomer: Saegusa Mayumi, and two other presumed council members. The girl fell back into the arms of a friend.

"Honoka..." The friend was obviously worried for "Honoka's" safety.

"Stop it right there!" shouted Mayumi. "Unless it's self-defense, head-to-head magic attacks are criminal acts!"

A second woman, with dark blue hair and her CAD on display, stepped forward. "I'm Watanabe Mari, head of the Disciplinary Committee! I'll be taking your statements now. All of you, come with me."

The situation could've gone several different ways from that point. However, Tatsuya's timely intervention was enough to salvage what remained of the day.

"Sorry about that. It was just horseplay that got out of hand," Tatsuya stated as Mari aimed her CAD at him, spell in hand.

"Horseplay?"

"Yes. The Morisaki Clan is famous for their quick-draw technique, so I thought I'd ask him to show me for future reference, but it was just so realistic that I couldn't stop myself from making a move." Morisaki, the leader of the Course 1 aggressors, was visibly surprised that Tatsuya knew who he was without an introduction.

"Then would you care to explain why that girl was about to activate an attack-type spell?" Mari was obviously 'quick on the draw' herself, to have noticed the flaw in Tatsuya's explanation. Honoka, ashamed, looked down as Mari asked the question.

"That was just a Flash Spell," Tatsuya stated confidently, "and its potency was considerably suppressed."

Both Mayumi and Mari were startled by this proclamation. Up until this point, only the caster themselves had ever known which spell they were casting and at what potency.

"Uh, Tatsuya?" Mayumi asked. "How do you know that? Did she tell you in advance?"

"No...not exactly."

"Explain." This command came not from Mayumi, but from Mari.

"I could tell by looking at the Activation Sequence."

"Are you saying that you have the ability to read Activation Sequences as they're being launched?"

"Well...yes. I'm no good at practical skills, but I am adept at analysis."

"Apparently, you're also adept at subterfuge." Mari still didn't quite believe Tatsuya's less-than-believable rendering of the situation.

"Subterfuge? Far from it. I'm nothing but a Course 2 student," he said as he pointed to the insignia on his shoulder. _"National Magic University Affiliated First High School. The very fact that you've been permitted to enroll at this school makes you one of the elite whose rare talent in magic has been acknowledged. But at this school, from the day you start, you're either an honor student or an irregular."_ His plan to use Mari's predjudices against her utterly backfired, though.


	2. Enrollment Part 2

**[Episode 2: Enrollment - Part 2]**

"What, you think that just because I'm a Course 1 student, I'm naive enough to believe that you, a Course 2 student, were not trying to manipulate the information surrounding this incident at all? You're much better at subterfuge than you give yourself credit for."

Time seemed to slow for a minute, as everyone evaluated their best course of action. Watanabe Mari was considering placing this mysterious first-year student under arrest, but she couldn't tell what his friends might do. On the other hand, she could arrest Morisaki, but that would set a precedent and might cause her to lose her position. After all, the School Board recommended Morisaki for a seat at the Disciplinary Committee, and it wouldn't do for one of their newest members to be arrested on his first day of school.

Tatsuya really, really didn't want to be arrested. Not out of any personal abhorance of prison, or even any fear of being arrested. He knew however, that the National Magic University looked into any arrests made at their affiliated high schools, and it was far from a stretch to assume that they would be able to trace his connections to the Yotsuba. If they did that, his oba-sama would be mad. And he didn't want to make her mad.

Miyuki was faced with a dilemma. She could either support her brother, and lose all of her Course 1 friends, or she could support the Course 1 students and risk angering Tatsuya's gang. She knew that she could take them in a fight, but that would just create needless complications. Or, there was the third option of using Nilfheim to make everyone cool down-literally. _"That, though, should be a last resort,"_ she decided.

Fortunately, none of these things happened. Mayumi stepped in and diffused the situation.

"That's enough, Mari." Turning to Tatsuya, she said "Tatsuya...it really was just a learning experience for you, right?" Her tone, along with the subtle wink, gave Tatsuya the impression that she was deliberately covering for him. "It's not as if students are prohibited from teaching each other, but the implementation of magic entails some detailed restrictions. It would probably be a good idea to refrain from any self-schooling that involves magic activation."

"Since the president herself seems to be so inclined..." Mari obviously didn't agree with Mayumi's unspoken decision. "...I'm going to look the other way this time. Make sure this doesn't ever happen again." After all, it wouldn't do for one of the Disciplinary Committee's newest members to be arrested on his first day of school. Mari turned and began walking away, only to pause a moment later and address Tatsuya. "What's your name?"

"Class 1-E, Shiba Tatsuya."

"I'll remember that name," she said as she walked away.

"You better not be thinking that I owe you, all right?" Morisaki seemed to be talking to Tatsuya.

"I don't think that I have anything over you, so don't worry." Tatsuya decided to take the mature route and avoid further confrontation with the Course 1 fool.

"My name's Shun Morisaki," he said, as if Tatsuya didn't know that already. "I'm a member of the main Morisaki branch. Don't think for a second that I acknowledge you, Shiba Tatsuya. Ms. Shiba should be hanging with us." Miyuki silently agreed with Shun. Tatsuya, meanwhile, decided to take a page out of Erika's playbook.

"So you're addressing me like that from the get-go?"

"Tatsuya-sama?" He turned to face Miyuki. "I think I'll go with them...we can talk later. It's just to...keep the peace, of course." Tatsuya knew why she wanted to go with them, but he didn't care. If anything, he was sorry that his own sister didn't feel comfortable around him.

"Yes, that's a good idea, Miyuki." She was startled for a second-she had expected him to protest a little-but then she realized what he was doing, and reminded herself to send him a thank-you card when this was all over. _"That wouldn't be inappropriate, would it?"_ She really didn't know anymore.

"Um..." This voice belonged to the Course 1 girl, Honoka. She seemed nervous, but she quickly gather her resolve and spoke again.

"I'm Honoka Mitsui! I'm sorry for what just happened!" Both she and her quiet friend bowed as she said this. Tatsuya was the only one in the group who seemed unfazed by the idea of two Course 1 students apologizing to a group of Course 2 students, but on the inside, he was just as shocked as everyone. "Thank you for covering for me," she said. "I know what Morisaki said, but it was thanks to you that the situation didn't escalate, senpai."

"You're welcome," he replied. "But hey, don't call me senpai. We're both first years, after all."

"Very well," the girl replied. She took a step toward Tatsuya, her eyes full of anticipation. "Then what should I call you...?"

"You can just call me Tatsuya." He took a step back in order to maintain some semblance of personal space.

"All right!" Honoka seemed content with Tatsuya's response. "So...um..." she obviously had something on her mind, but was too nervous to say anything. "Uh..."

Miyuki stepped in, anxious to resolve this conversation and get back to her Course 1 friends. "What is it?"

A look of determination appeared on Honoka's face. "Would it be okay if I walked with you to the station?" Her question caught everyone off guard, including Tatsuya. No one had expected this Course 1 student to apologize to them, let alone offer to accompany them as they walked down the promenade to the station. Miyuki tried to intervene.

"Umm, Honoka? I'm not going with them...you wouldn't want to disturb them either, would you?" Honoka seemed like the kind of girl who would be easily swayed by this type of logic, but Tatsuya cut short her response.

"Honoka, you're welcome to come with us. Miyuki, we'll talk later, if that's OK with you." It was only at this commanding statement from Tatsuya that everyone regained their senses and realized that the situation was over.

* * *

 **~That Evening~**

Walking with Course 2 students wasn't as appealing to Honoka and her friend, who had introduced herself as Kitayama Shizuku, the ojou-sama of the wealthy Kitayama family. The overall awkwardness of the situation could've been avoided if there had been some bridge between the two social groups-Miyuki would have been a fine choice, because no one could present a serious argument as to why she should not be with her brother-but as such a bridge was missing, passers-by only gave them stern looks of disapproval, as if to say _"You shouldn't be walking with children who are so obviously beneath you."_ This only added to the innate awkwardness of the situation, but it didn't upset Honoka or Shizuku. They bore the full brunt of the social criticism, and they handled it well.

"So, Tatsuya, you are the one who keeps your own CAD in working order?" Honoka seemed intrigued at the prospect of Tatsuya being a magic engineer, and a CAD technician no less.

"Yes, though all I really do is make some minor adjustments." While some Course 1 students would assume that Tatsuya was telling the truth, Shizuku and Honoka knew that he was being humble. It wasn't anything he said that tipped them off; Tatsuya just carried himself with the air of a knowledgeable person. He gave off the impression that he knew what he was talking about, something which a lot of people try to mimic but never fully achieve. Mizuki, who understood some aspects of CAD programming, knew the importance of Tatsuya's comment.

"Yes, but you wouldn't be able to do that unless you had the knowledge to understand how the OS works, right?"

"Not to mention you need the skills to access the CAD's basic system," Leo added. It seemed that everyone thought Tatsuya was being too humble. "Pretty impressive."

"Would you mind taking a look at mine, Tatsuya?" The look on Erika's face was one of a cat, about to catch its prey. But before she knew it, her prey turned and pounced on her.

"I couldn't. I'm not confident enough to mess around with a unique CAD like that." While this was technically true, all Tatsuya needed was a couple of hours to study and probe the device's OS to learn how to fine-tune it.

"You really are amazing, aren't you, Tatsuya!" While Erika was upset that she wasn't the one to reveal her unique CAD, she was also impressed with Tatsuya's powers of observation.

"In what way?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to the value of his last assessment.

"The fact that you could tell that this was a CAD..." Erika said as she held up her extendable baton. At this, Leo's eyes widened in disbelief.

* * *

 **~Later~**

"An engraving-type spell?"

"Right. That's why it's all hollow, except for the hilt."

"Meaning that you've got to constantly feed it psions, right? How do you not run out of gas?" Leo and Erika were discussing her CAD. She had explained to him how it only operated one spell, a fortification spell, which was engraved on the interior of the baton. This spell greatly strengthens the physical resistance of the usually-weak hollow baton, making it a formidable weapon. However, such a spell would need-as Leo pointed out-a continuous stream of psions, which would quickly exhaust Erika if it was always being cast.

"Hey, I knew that was your area of expertise! But unfortunately, I'm not quite there yet. It doesn't use up that much if I only transmit the psions at the moment of extension and impact. It's the same as the principle of helmet-splitting." The last part of Erika's explanation made everyone stop in their tracks. "Wait, what's the matter with you all?"

"Erika..." Tatsuya began. "Helmet-splitting is a technique categorized under secret skills and the arcane arts, but it's much more complex than simply having a large quantity of psions available."

"Could it be that civillians are more rare at our school?" Mizuki's question arose out of the fact that everyone seemed to have a specialty of some sort, or at least some sort of special attribute.

"I don't believe there are any civilians at Magic High School." Back in elementary school, Shizuku and Honoka-along with their Course 2 counterparts, save for Tatsuya-had stood out as being magicians. Here, everyone was a magician, and only the exceptional students stood out. Everyone let out a quiet "ahhh..." at this out-of-place profoud insight.

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

Tatsuya was walking up the promenade to First High, when a voice called out behind him.

"Tatsuya!" He turned and found Mayumi chasing after him. "Morning, Tatsuya!" She seemed surprisingly excited to see him.

"Good morning, President." Mayumi's enthusiasm did not rub off on Tatsuya.

"I just talked with Miyuki, as there is something which I would like to discuss with her. She said that you two were going to try to have lunch together, so I decided to invite you along, as well! That way, we can all talk to each other and say what it is that we have to say." Tatsuya somehow doubted that Miyuki and him would get a chance to really talk during lunch that day, but how could he deny the ojou-sama of the Saegusa family, let along the Student Council President? Plus, it might raise suspicions if he and Miyuki didn't seem...friendly with each other.

"I appreciate the invitation, President. Does Miyuki know that I will be there? I would hate to embarass her at what must be an important meeting."

"Oh, it's not that formal, Tatsuya! As for Miyuki..." Mayumi threw a guilty glance over her shoulder. "I said that I'd work it out with you, so that she could come to lunch with us. I never said that you weren't invited..."

"Thank you for clearing that up." Mayumi breathed a sigh of relief at Tatsuya's expression of gratitude. "I will certainly be there, President."

* * *

 **~At the Student Council Office~**

Miyuki had just sat down when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," came the reply from Mayumi. Whoever it was, it seemed that they were expected.

"Excuse me." Miyuki couldn't believe her eyes as her brother opened the door.

"Welcome! Don't be shy. Come on in!" Even worse, it seemed that Mayumi was the one who had invited him to the meeting. As he got his lunch and sat down, Mayumi began the meeting.

"We introduced ourselves at the matriculation ceremony, but just in case, sitting next to me is our treasurer, Ichihara Suzune, a.k.a. Rin!" Mayumi's introductions were interrupted by "Rin's" protests.

"You're the only one who ever calls me Rin, President."

"You know who's sitting next to her, right? That's Watanabe Mari, chairman of the Disciplinary Committee. And to her left is our secretary, Azusa Nakajo, a.k.a. A-chan!" This was the girl who had interrupted Tatsuya and Mayumi's first meeting, prior to the matriculation ceremony.

"President...I beg of you, please don't call me A-chan in front of the underclassmen! I have a reputation to maintain, too, you know!" Mayumi ignored A-chan's outburst and continued.

"Along with Hanzo, our Vice President, that's our Student Council this semester." Hanzo must be the boy that Tatsuya met in the hallway after the matriculation ceremony.

"Although I'm not a member..." Mari seemed to have something to say before Miyuki interrupted.

"Ms. Watanabe?"

"What is it?"

"Did you make that boxed lunch yourself?"

"Yes, I did..." Mari answered hesitantly. "Is that such a surprise?"

"No, not at all." Tatsuya answered for Miyuki, because they both had the same answer in mind and he wanted to get on Mari's good side, considering the events of the previous day. "We can tell by looking at your hands whether or not you cook on a regular basis." At this, Mari blushed and hid her hands, as there was a band-air on one finger from what was presumably a cooking accident.

"Tatsuya-sama? We could bring boxed lunched as well. I know that you know how to cook..." Miyuki was, quite transparently, looking for an appropriate topic for small talk. Tatsuya decided to make the most of it, and maybe get Miyuki to be more comfortable around him.

"That sounds very appealing, but I can't think of a place where we can be alone..." Tatsuya knew that to anyone else, this would sound like he was planning a date, but to his sister, it sounded like he planned to talk about Yotsuba business. Suzune, or Rin, believed the former.

"You sound more like lovers than siblings." Tatsuya knew exactly how to make his sister squirm.

"Do we? Well, I do admit that it's crossed my mind before." Miyuki was turning a deep shade of red, and her anxiety was palpable. "That if only we weren't related by blood, I'd want her as my lover." Now everyone had the same shade of red in their faces, which was only dispelled by Tatsuya's next remark. "Needless to say, I'm joking," he deadpanned. Miyuki almost froze her brother in his seat, but common sense restrained her.

* * *

 **~Later~**

"Why don't we get down to business, then?" Lunch was over, and Mayumi was eager to get started. "At this school, the Student Council President is chosen by election, but the other officers are chosen or dismissed by the president. With some exceptions, the president also has the power to appoint or dismiss the chairmen of each committee."

"One such exception is my own Disciplinary Committee," added Mari. "The members of the Disciplinary Committee appoint three officers each to the Student Council, the Extracurricular Activities Federations, and the Faculty Committee, but the chairman is chosen in an internal election."

"Now, then, in keeping with our annual tradition, we appoint the first year student representative to the Student Council. Miyuki, I'd like you to join the Student Council. Will you accept the appointment?"

Miyuki was not surprised-she'd heard that this might happen from her father, who was the first year student representative at his own high school-but she still looked to Tatsuya to get his opinion. Sure, in terms of magic, she was exponentially ahead of him, but she also knew that his intellect was second-to-none. If he thought this was the right choice, then she would accept. Tatsuya, seeing Miyuki's questioning gaze, gently nodded to confirm her suspicions. He was, believe it or not, happy that his sister showed interest in his opinion. _"Though,"_ he thought, _"she might just be playing a part for the Council's benefit..."_

Miyuki stood up and nonchalantly asked: "President, do you know about Tatsuya-sama's entrance exam scores?" Tatsuya could barely contain his shock and worry. He sadly did not know his sister well enough to understand where she was going with this line of thought, and that scared him. "If the Student Council is looking to recruit a talented individual," Miyuki continued, "I believe that Tatsuya-sama is at least as good of a choice as I am, if not even a better choice. I am deeply honored that the Student Council wishes me to join their ranks. It would be my pleasure to join you at the foot of your table, but I would appreciate it if there was some way that you could bring Tatsuya-sama on board as well."

"Unfortunately, that won't be possible." Suzune, not Mayumi, was the one who shot down Miyuki's request. "The officers of the Student Council are chosen from among the Course 1 students. This is not an unwritten law, but rather a regulation. To overturn this rule, the entire student body would have to vote for an overhaul of the system."

"My apologies." Miyuki understood the very rational reasons for why her brother could not be a member of the Student Council, but to be honest, she didn't really care. She didn't care that her brother was banned from student government, and she didn't care that it was a rule. "Please forgive me for being so forward, and so out of line."

"Let's see..." Mayumi tried to relieve the tension in the room. "Then are we agreed that you'll be joining us on the Student Council this semester as our secretary, Miyuki?" This time, there was no hint of hesitation in Miyuki's voice.

"Yes. I will do everything I can to serve you to the best of my abilities, so please allow me to join you."

"A-chan will explain the specifics of your duties, all right?"

"Can I jump in here?" Mari raised her hand slightly, almost like a teacher asking a student for permission. "The Student Council still hasn't filled the one remaining spot on the Disciplinary Committee, left by a departing graduate."

"Mari..." Mayumi acted like picking a replacement was a stressful job that would take time. "I told you, we're still in the middle of the selection process."

"If I'm not mistaken, selecting a Course 2 student as a Student Council nominee for the Disciplinary Committee wouldn't be in violation of the rules, right?" Tatsuya was slightly surprised at Mari's seemingly welcoming and encouraging attitude, which was vastly different from the Mari he had met the other day. That Mari had been wary of him and his deceptive abilities, but this one seemed eager to help him. It scared him a little; she must have had some plan in mind. Unfortunately for Tatsuya, the President didn't see it that way.

"Nice going! That's right, for the Disciplinary Committee, it would pose no problem." Tatsuya saw the path of his first year of high school forming before his very eyes, and he could do nothing to stop it. "Mari," Mayumi continued, "the Student Council hereby nominates Shiba Tatsuya to the Disciplinary Committee." Even though he couldn't stop it, Tatsuya had to at least try...

"Hold on a second, please! Don't I have any say in this? In the first place, you haven't even explained to me what it is that the Disciplinary Committee does!" Tatsuya's usually sound logic had a gaping hole this time, which was proof only to the fact that he had been flustered by Mayumi's eagerness to "get him on board," as his sister had put it.

"Well, we still haven't told your sister what her specific duties as a Student Council member are either," Suzune noted. Tatsuya could say nothing in his defense on that point.

"Well, yeah, that's true, but..."

"Now, now, Rin, it's all right." Mayumi had obviously been on his side since the very first day of school, and Tatsuya was beginning to wonder why. "Tatsuya, the Disciplinary Committee maintains order at this school."

"Is that all?" Tatsuya didn't seem pleased.

"Excuse me?" Mayumi was ruffled from his cold response. Tatsuya, meanwhile, was looking at each member of the Student Council, wearing them down with his penetrating glare until one broke and answered his question. With Tatsuya, it seemed that there was no need to repeat himself.

"U-Um," A-chan started, "the main duties of the Disciplinary Committee are to charge those in violation of the school regulations regarding the use of magic, and to crack down on disorderly conduct involving magic."

"Just in case, I'd like to confirm one thing." This question from Tatsuya was directed toward the chairwoman of the Committee.

"What is it?" Mari asked in return.

"If I understand correctly," Tatsuya prefaced his question with an appropriate disclaimer. "...whenever a fight breaks out, the Disciplinary Committee has to stop it by force. Is that right?"

"Well, more or less." Mari could see the route Tatsuya was going with his argument. She bet that he'd try to disqualify himself based on his Course 2 status again. She still hadn't forgot the incident from the other day...in fact, that was one of the reasons that she wanted to keep an eye on him.

"And that holds true even if magic is being used?" Yes, Mari was certainly right in her assumption.

"Ideally, we'd stop it before they use any magic." She could sense his objection just around the corner...and she was right.

"Excuse me, but I'm a Course 2 student because of my miserable scores in the practical exam!" And there it was. Luckily, Mari had her counter-argument already lined up.

"That's fine." This took Tatsuya off-guard. "They have me deal with tests of strength..." Mari was interrupted by the bell that sounded the end of the lunch period. "Right, I'd like to continue this after school. Is that all right?" Tatsuya bowed in quiet resignment.

"Fine by me..."

* * *

 **~Later~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki left the Student Council Office together, and they had the opportunity to talk briefly while they went to their respective classes.

"Miyuki..."

"Tatsuya-sama, we're even now."

"What?"

"I said, we're even now. You've been gracious to me, and now I've helped you gain some form of recognition, even if it is more than you deserve." This last part came out by accident, and Tatsuya was visibly hurt. "Excuse me...I didn't mean it like that..." At this, Miyuki quickly turned and ran away.

* * *

 **~That Afternoon~**

"Disciplinary Committee?" Those words had gotten Leo's attention quickly.

"Yeah, so anyway, I've got to go discuss it with them again after school."

"Well, that sounds like a pain..."

"Isn't it dangerous, what the Disciplinary Committee does?" It was Mizuki's turn to be interested in Tatsuya's new opportunity.

"Jeez...she just does whatever she wants!" Erika obviously had a bone to pick with someone, but she kept her voice low so no one could hear her. It was only Tatsuya's voice that roused her from her thoughts.

"It's your turn, Erika." They were waiting in line for a practice practical exam-a podium-like CAD that would give each student a spell to execute. Those who executed it fast enough were placed into the first course, and those who were too slow were placed in the second course.

"Sorry, sorry! But really, what a load of crap!" Even when being sarcastic, it wasn't like Erika to insult her friends in such manner. Fortunately, the target of her comment was Tatsuya, who wasn't affected in the same way that Mizuki was.

"Erika?" But Erika wasn't listening. Instead, she put her hand on the podium, and the Activation Sequence glimmered as it spun around her hand. A small dolly on the floor moved to the end of a track, and back.

"All right!" Erika said to herself. It was now Tatsuya's turn. He placed his hand on the podium. Blue numbers spun in a circle around his forearm as he concentrated on the Activation Sequence he was being given. To his right, a Course 1 student built the same spell in one tenth of the time, but Tatsuya wasn't aware of this. He was too busy to notice. _"Slow..."_ he thought, as he manipulated the data. With determination in his eyes, he quickly raised his right hand and cast the spell. The small dolly repeated its motion, albeit far slower than when Erika had tried. _"Too slow,"_ he thought. _"Is this the best I can do?"_

* * *

 **~After School~**

Tatsuya stood in front of the Student Council Office once again. He was still pondering the results of his practice exam. _"I don't belong here, after all,"_ he said in his mind. He knocked, and with a polite "Excuse me," he entered the Student Council Office. He was surprised to see Miyuki already in the room. _"I'll just politely decline."_ Aloud he said, "It's Shiba Tatsuya."

"Hey, you made it!" Mari's greeting was, again, uncharacteristicly inviting and innocent.

"Thanks for coming, Tatsuya." Mayumi seemed pleased to see Tatsuya again that day. There was a third figure in the room, a Course 1 upperclassman who had been talking to Miyuki when Tatsuya entered. He didn't even speak to Tatsuya, though Tatsuya surmised that he must be Hanzo, the Vice President. "Let's get started, then. A-chan, if you please."

"Right." A-chan moved towards Miyuki as Mari addressed Tatsuya.

"Okay, then why don't we get moving?" Tatsuya had no idea where they were going, but Mari had mentioned something about "tests of strength." There was a simple way to find out.

"Where to?"

"The Disciplinary Committee Headquarters. Since it would probably be easier for you to watch and learn." Tatsuya slightly frowned at this backhanded nicety, by he was soon distracted.

"Ms. Watanabe, please wait a moment." The boy's intentions were crystal clear; he did not like Tatsuya, and only because he was a Course 2 student.

"What is it, Vice President Hattori Gyobushojo Hanzo?" So this was indeed the Vice President.

"Please don't call me by my full name!" The boy-Hanzo-was obviously upset at Mari's question. Mari, however, was not upset; if anything, she was more than happy to oblige him.

"Okay, then - Vice President Hattori Hanzo." Even this simple sentence was, by Hanzo's count, worthy of correction.

"It's Hattori Gyobu!" With this comment, Hanzo had opened a can of worms that wouldn't be easily sealed.

"That's not a name, it's a government post of your family, right?" With the way Mari put inflection into her voice, what could be a compliment instead sounded like a public shaming, and Hanzo dealt with it as such. Or, at least, he intended to.

"We no longer hold that office. At this school, I'm registered as Hattori Gyobu..." Realizing his mistake, Hanzo quickly attempted to correct himself. "No, that's not what I meant to say!"

"Then what is it?"

"I am opposed to that first year being appointed to the Disciplinary Committee." Now back on topic, Hanzo had no problem voicing his complaints. "No Weed has ever been appointed to the Disciplinary Committee before."

"It's forbidden to refer to the Course 2 students as Weeds...you have some nerve, uttering that term in front of me."

"Glossing over it won't do any good. Or do you intend to bust over a third of the entire student body? The Disciplinary Committee's job is to crack down on students in violation of the rules using practical skills. A Weed couldn't hack it; their skills are inferior." It seemed that Hanzo was using the same objection that Tatsuya had tried. Maybe now Tatsuya would get to hear her response.

"It's true that the Disciplinary Committee is meritocracy-based, but there's more than one kind of practical skill." Pointing to Tatsuya, she unleashed her trump card. "Tatsuya claims to have the ability to read activation sequences directly and accurately predict which spell is about to be activated."

"Impossible...even an Essential Singularity-type activation sequence is loaded with data-as much as 30,000 characters! There's no way that he could read it in an instant!"

"Common sense tells us that there's no way. That's precisely why his skills are so valuable. He's sure to become a powerful deterrent towards all those would-be violators who keep getting off easy because we can never establish their crimes. I also want to be able to keep an eye on him, and actually determine if his description of this power is accurate. I have seen its effects firsthand, but the skeptic in me still requires verification.

"Also, there's one more reason why I want him on my committee. Just as you say, at this school, there's an emotional chasm between the Course 1 and Course 2 students. The Course 1 students police the Course 2 students, but never the other way around. This system has only served to deepen the rift. I'm just not a fan of the notion of allowing the committee that I lead to foster such a sense of discrimination." Having failed at persuading Mari, Hanzo turned his attention to Mayumi.

"President! As Vice President, I am against appointing Shiba Tatsuya to the Disciplinary Committee. A Course 2 student lacking magical power would be in over his head on the Disciplinary Committee!" It was at this point in the "conversation" that a small chuckle drew everyone's attention to Miyuki.

"It is true that Tatsuya-sama's practical test scores were not enough to get him into the first course, but that was only because his skills were incompatible with the method of assessment." Miyuki stated this plainly, as if it were a fact that had already been decided. "In an actual battle, Tatsuya-sama would never lose to anyone, certainly not any student here."

"Ms. Shiba! A magician must recognize everything as it is, calmly and rationally. Because we possess the power to make the impossible possible, we are expected to train ourselves rigorously to serve the public interest. As calm and as rational as you may seem, an aspiring magician cannot allow her judgment to be clouded by nepotism."

"Pardon me for saying so," which sounded as sarcastic as it could be, "but my judgment isn't clouded in the least, and you're a fool for thinking it is. With Tatsuya-sama's true abilities, he could...well, let's not get into that now."

"Wise choice, Miyuki." Tatsuya was about to reprimand his sister, but as she had said, her judgment wasn't clouded. She had been, whether she knew it or not, offended by Hanzo, and it was his duty to make that right. He walked toward Hanzo, all sound ceasing as he did. Everyone was watching him, and waiting for him to do something. Just as Hanzo never made eye contact with Tatsuya, neither did Tatsuya ever make eye contact with Hanzo. He straightened his tie. "Vice President Hattori..." Tatsuya turned to face him. "Will you take me on in a simulated battle?"

"What?" Everyone was shocked at Tatsuya's bravery, but only Hanzo voiced his feelings. "Don't be so arrogant! You, a mere reserve!" Tatsuya began to laugh, which only served to irritate Hanzo even more. "What's so funny?"

"You said it yourself just now. Magicians must strive to be calm, am I right? Not that I want to be on the Disciplinary Committee or anything, but if I'm going to prove that Miyuki's judgment isn't clouded, I have no choice." It was his duty to defend his sister's honor; surely even this prejudiced child would understand that.

"Fine." Hanzo did, after all, acknowledge Tatsuya's duty. "I'm going to show you just how much you need to know your place!"

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya went to his locker to retrieve his specialized CADs. The black case provided good contrast against his white and green overcoat. Miyuki walked silently beside him as they made their way to Practice Room 3. The entire journey was shrouded in a cloak of silence, each step making the cloak more and more permanent.

In the practice room, Tatsuya prepared for the fight. He wouldn't need both CADs today; one would do just fine. He made sure it was working, and equipped it with a simple loadout.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Do you always carry around multiple storage devices?" Mari was referring to digital drives that were shaped like the "magazine" of Tatsuya's "gun," but which stored activation sequences and not bullets.

"Yes," came the concise reply. "Since I don't have sufficient processing skills to master a general CAD." Whether she was aware of it or not, Mari had just unintentionally given Tatsuya an edge by bolstering Hanzo's hubris.

"I'm going to explain the rules now. Spells that prove fatal, as well as those that cause your opponent irreparable damage are forbidden. Direct attacks should never cause your opponent any more than a sprain. Weapons are prohibited. Bare-handed attacks are permitted. The winner will be declared either when one party acknowledges defeat, or when the referee determines that one part is unable to continue. I myself will be using sheer force to deal with any infractions of the rules, so be prepared! That's it." As Mari waited a few seconds before starting the match, Hanzo strategized.

 _"In a battle between magicians, whoever strikes first with a spell wins. And a Bloom would never lose to a Weed, thanks to the speed of his CAD-based spell activation. Not only that, but I hear that my opponent's practical skills are weak, even for a Weed. I've already won before the match begins._

 _"Right after it starts, I'm going to launch a speed-oriented, simple activation sequence and have it complete before Shiba's. I'm going to cast an Essential Singularity-type Movement Spell. It will knock him back ten meters, and the shock will render him unfit for battle. Victory will be mine!_

Mari, seeing that both combatants had sufficiently prepared, began the match.

"Are you ready?" Both nodded. "Begin!"

Everything happened so fast.

Hanzo chose a spell and activated it.

Tatsuya smiled.

Hanzo fell to the ground, revealing Tatsuya with his CAD raised behind him.

As Tatsuya lowered his CAD, he looked at Mari expectantly. She recovered from her shock quickly.

"The winner is Shiba Tatsuya!"

He made a small bow in acknowledgement.


	3. Enrollment Part 3

**Author's Note: First, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for all the responses I have received so far! I wasn't planning on continuing this after the first chapter because life got in the way, but the enthusiasm of the community convinced me otherwise.**

 **Second, some of you have expressed concern over this following the canon plot of MKnR too closely. I get that. Simply retelling the same story is not something which I want to do, but some events needed to happen to set the stage for the remainder of the series. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that this chapter will surprise you, even if some parts are predictable.**

 **[Episode 3: Enrollment - Part 3]**

Mayumi leaned Hanzo against the wall of the Third Practice Room as Tatsuya walked back to his briefcase to put away his CAD.

"Hold up." As referee, Mari undoubtedly had questions. "That move you just made...did you deploy a self-acceleration spell in advance?" Mari was asking Tatsuya if he had cheated, as the combatants were only allowed to begin casting once the match had begun.

"That wasn't magic," came Tatsuya's response. "It was a bona fide physical technique from the art of taijitsu, which I have mastered under Sensei Kokonoe's exceptional training. While ninjutsu, in which I am also proficient, is classified as Ancient Magic, I did not use any techniques from that school of martial arts."

" _That_ Kokonoe?" Anyone who was anyone knew Yakumo's reputation, and Mari was no different.

"Then was the spell you used in that attack also ninjutsu?" Mayumi looked confused, as the spell did not appear to be either martial arts or Ancient Magic, but she also doubted Tatsuya's ability to cast a spell that quickly...he was, after all, a Course 2 student. "It only looked to me as if you'd released psion waves..."

"You are correct. Vice President Hattori was casting an Essential Singularity-type spell, but all I did to defeat him was generate psion waves."

"Even so, that doesn't explain why Hanzo got knocked out."

"He was wasted."

"Wasted?" An unusual term to use when referring to a magician. "On what, exactly?"

"Magicians perceive psions just as they do visible light and sound waves," Tatsuya explained. "When a magician is exposed to unexpected psions, he hallucinates that his body is being shaken, similar to how loud sound waves can shake your body and cause a headache. It was this delusion that brought on something akin to a violent bout of seasickness."

"Such a powerful psion surge as that..." Mayumi was in awe of Tatsuya's incredible understanding of psion physics, but still did not fully understand the reality of what just happened. "How on earth did you...?"

"Compound waves, right?" Apparently Suzune was also familiar with wave and psion physics to have come up with a solution so soon. "You created three consecutive psion waves of varying oscillation frequencies, calibrated them so that all three would converge where Hattori was standing, then generated a powerful surge, like a triangular wave."

"Very impressive, Ms. Ichihara."

"Still, how were you able to pull that off in such a short time?" Suzune wondered. "With that kind of processing speed, I don't see how your practical scores could be so low." Tatsuya only smiled, along with a small bow, in appreciation of her compliment.

"Excuse me..." A new voice spoke up. A-chan was examining Tatsuya's specialized CAD. "By any chance, Tatsuya, is your CAD a Silver Horn?"

"Silver Horn?" While Mayumi had never heard of it before, she was familiar with the name. "As in Taurus Silver, the mysterious genius magic engineer?"

"That's right!" A-chan was excited that Mayumi knew about him. "A specialist in Four Leaves Technology! The miraculous CAD engineer whose real name, appearance, and profile are all shrouded in mystery! The programming genius who was the first to implement the Loop Cast System! "Silver Horn" is the name of the specialized CAD model fully customized by Taurus Silver himself, and it's optimized for Loop Casting!" It seemed that A-chan was offering this as an explanation for how Tatsuya was able to defeat Hanzo so quickly.

"But Rin, that doesn't add up, does it?"

"No, it doesn't add up. The purpose of a Loop Cast is to launch consecutive invocations of the exact same spell. It just isn't possible to use a Loop Cast to create multiple surges of varying oscillations." Suzune examined her notes as she formed a theory. "I suppose it's feasible if the oscillations are defined as variables, but to set the oscillations as one more variable along with the coordinates, intensity, and duration..." A look of realization entered Suzune's eyes. "Don't tell me that's exactly what you've pulled off here?"

Tatsuya shrugged. He didn't care that they found out how he defeated Hanzo, though it might be dangerous to let them observe any more of his combat skills. If worst came to worst, he would have to tell them everything...he might even have to use the Yotsuba name to enforce their silence. That was something he didn't want to do at all and wasn't looking forward to.

"At this school, multivariables aren't subject to evaluation...not as processing speed, nor as calculation scale, nor as interference intensity."

"In the practical exam," Hanzo began. Apparently, he had regained consciousness and had overheard the last bits of conversation. "...magic skill scores are determined by Spell Invocation Speed, the scale of the Magic Sequence, and Target Data Rewriting Strength." If only he knew about Regrowth, the spell that completely rewrote its target's Eidos. "I see, so that's what happens when tests don't reflect your true abilities."

"Are you all right, Hanzo?" Mayumi seemed slightly embarassed that she had forgotten about him during the reveal of Tatsuya's skill. Hearing this, Hanzo stood up at attention.

"I'm fine!" He then turned to Miyuki. "Ms. Shiba?"

"Yes?"

"What I said before...about nepotism...that was rude of me. I was the one whose judgment was clouded. I hope you'll forgive me."

"I was also out of line. I insulted every student here at First High School. Please forgive me." Hanzo then turned to Tatsuya and gave him a slight nod of respect. Then he turned and walked out of Practice Room Three.

"All right." Mari spoke up. "We did get waylaid unexpectedly, but why don't we get back on track and head to the Disciplinary Committee headquarters?" Mayumi motioned for A-chan to stay behind after the others had left.

"A-chan, you seemed surprised to see that Tatsuya's CAD is a Silver Horn."

"Well, yes, President. Taurus Silver makes every one personally, and they're super expensive. Your family might be able to buy one for you, but there's also a waiting list. I've been on it for years in hopes of meeting Taurus Silver, but I haven't had any luck."

"A-chan, have you heard of the Shiba family before? I can't say that I have. Nevertheless, I find it interesting that Tatsuya has not only one, but two, Siver Horns along with multiple storage devices."

"A few years ago, I researched Four Leaves Technology. Their Vice President is a man by the name of Shiba Tatsurou, married to Shiba Sayuri, a researcher at FLT who was elevated to management." Azusa had heard the seriousness in Mayumi's voice and adopted a more mature tone, appropriate for a second-year student.

"And you think Tatsuya is somehow related to this Tatsurou? I admit that their names are similar..."

"Most information regarding the personal lives of FLT's employees is under strict lock and key. I wasn't able to find out much about the leadership or Taurus Silver."

"It might be a connection. Thank you, A-chan. I'll let Mari and Suzune know of this information."

* * *

 **~At the Disciplinary Committee's Headquarters~**

"It's a little untidy, but hey, find yourself a seat somewhere." The Disciplinary Committee's headquarters was more than a little untidy, but Mari didn't seem to care. Tatsuya did, however.

"Chairwoman, would you mind if I straightened this place up?"

"What?"

"As an aspiring magic engineer, I find this environment somewhat unbearable." Tatsuya didn't pull his punches.

"Magic engineer?" That's right, Mari wasn't there when he vocalized his choice of profession. "When you have such tremendous combat skills?"

"At my skill level, no matter what I do, I can't hope for more than a Level C license."

"But I would expect that they could give you a special license if you demonstrated your abilities to the right people...the military, perhaps?" Mari had the right idea. After all, the military did want Tatsuya-they had recruited him during the battle of Okinawa into the 101st Independent Magic Battalion-but Mari didn't know that, and she wasn't supposed to.

"And what would the military expect of me, Ms. Watanabe? I think more than simply running behind the enemy and releasing psion waves. If it were that easy, any Course 2 student could win a Monolith Code competition against a superior opponent with only a little strategy." Tatsuya referenced a common magic sport in which both individuals, teams, and the Nine Magic University Associated High Schools competed.

"But not every Course 2 student is a practitioner of ninjutsu."

"They wouldn't have to be if they set up a good distraction in advance." Tatsuya had a point, and Mari knew it. She decided to continue cleaning up the headquarters instead of pressing her point. After some minutes of silent reorganizing, she changed the subject. "The reason I scouted you was...well, come to think of it, I've pretty much already explained that to you."

"And I remember, but if you ask me, dealing with Course 2 students is a measure that could backfire." Mari wasn't paying attention to him, as she was reading something on her personal tablet. A look of surprise crossed her face, and she looked back up at Tatsuya.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?"

"If you ask me, dealing with Course 2 students is a measure that could backfire." Tatsuya repeated his statement word-for-word.

"Why do you think that?" Mari was smiling in an unnatural fashion. It gave Tatsuya the impression that she was trying to hide something, probably whatever she had just read on her tablet. He decided not to pursue this suspicion, though.

"The Course 2 upperclassmen won't take kindly to being policed all of a sudden by a younger student in the same boat." This line of argument surprised Mari, as she thought that the Course 1 students would be the source of Tatsuya's anxiety.

"But I think your fellow first years will surely welcome you."

"I'm sure there'll be double the animosity from the Course 1 students." So Tatsuya was worried about the Course 1 students after all; Mari wondered as to what this said about Tatsuya's logic and thinking. _"Is it that he's more afraid of Course 2 students than he is of Course 1 students? I doubt it. Certainly Course 2 students can have impressive skills in fields lacking magic, but so does Tatsuya. If anything, his skills give him an edge, even over Course 1 students, as we've just seen. I don't really see Tatsuya as the kind of guy who is afraid of anyone-the way he carries himself exudes authority and seniority, which is odd, considering those are two things he is lacking here. Well, I guess being on the Disciplinary Committee does give him some authority, but if authority is his goal, then why does he still argue against me? Considering the email that Mayumi sent me, he could be trying to hide something from me, and/or the Disciplinary Committee. A hidden connection to Four Leaves Technology is quite the secret, after all."_ Aloud, she said:

"Sure, there's bound to be some animosity," she admitted. Mari saw this as an opportunity to draw some information out of Tatsuya, and she took it. "But right now, everyone's just started here. They shouldn't be all that poisoned by discriminatory impulses yet, right?" She tried to conceal it, but her tone sounded somewhat sarcastic and taunting.

"Who knows?" Tatsuya took the bait. "Just yesterday, I got hit with the "I'm never going to acknowledge you" treatment from someone."

"Are you talking about Morisaki?" Mari had to confirm that her fish had been hooked before reeling in the line.

"You know him, then?"

"He'll be joining this committee under a Faculty recommendation." At this proclamation, Tatsuya's eyes widened and he dropped the storage device he was holding. "What's more, I'm considering putting both you and him on the same patrol." While Mari said this in jest, Tatsuya's reaction prompted her to seriously consider the idea.

"Ms. Watanabe, I highly doubt the effectiveness of your strategy. Having Morisaki and I work together is not a realistic goal..." He broke off his protest at Mari's laughter.

"So even you can get flustered, too, I see."

"Well, of course I can." Embarassed, Tatsuya tried to cover for his "emotional" display. Luckily, two Committee officers walked in at that moment, taking Mari's attention from Tatsuya.

"Afternoon!"

"Good afternoon!"

"Hey, senpai! So you're here, huh?"

"Chairwoman, we've completed today's patrol mission. No arrests have been made." The officer who was giving his report was interrupted by Mari, who hit the other officer with some rolled-up papers.

"Don't call me senpai! How many times do I have to tell you? Is that head of yours just an empty ornament?"

"Please don't beat up on me like that!" Mari stopped, and the target of her fury noticed Tatsuya. "By the way, Chairwoman, is that a new face I see over there?"

"That's Shiba Tatsuya of Class 1-E. He'll be joining us under the recommendation of the Student Council." The student's eyes naturally drifted toward Tatsuya's shoulder.

"Emblem-less, huh?" This comment drew the attention of his companion.

"Tatsumi, your choice of words may run afoul of the banned words regulations." Casting a sideways glance at Tatsuya, the officer continued. "In this case, the proper term would be Course 2 student."

"You guys, you're going to get the rug pulled out from under you if you hold such a simplistic outlook." Mari stepped up to Tatsuya's defense. "Between you and me, Hattori just got himself royally tripped up a little while ago."

"You mean that guy defeated Hattori, then?"

"That's right, in an official match, too."

"What the...? Are you saying that Hattori, undefeated since he started here, got beaten by a new student?"

"I'm glad to have him on our side!"

"We've got ourselves a irregular, right, Chairwoman?"

"Who would've thought, right?" Mari was ready to take back control of the conversation. "This school, with its asinine "Bloom"/"Weed" labeling, is teeming with people either wallowing in their sense of superiority, or drowning in their sense of inferiority. To tell you the truth, I've been fed up with it all. Speaking for myself. Fortunately, both Mayumi and Jumonji of the Extracurricular Activities Federation know what kind of personality I have. They've used their recommendation slots to pick people who are relatively immune to those kinds of sensibilitites. Their feelings of superiority may not quite be at zero, but they're good guys who can evaluate others' skills fairly." As Mari lined up her final point, she knew that she had won Tatsuya over. "I don't think this place will be all that uncomfortable for you." The two officers then turned to Tatsuya and introduced themselves.

"I'm Tatsumi Koutaro of Class 3-C." This was the one who had first noticed Tatsuya, though now he was the first to extend his hand to him. "Nice to meet you, Shiba. Able guys like you are more than welcome here!" The other then introduced himself.

"I'm Sawaki Midori of Class 2-D. Glad to have you on board, Shiba." Tatsuya smiled and shook Tatsumi's hand.

I'm first year student Shiba Tatsuya. Likewise...it's nice to meet you, too."

* * *

 **~That Night~**

Tatsuya was at his house, working on an upgrade for the Third Eye, a sniper rifle-inspired CAD that greatly boosted the accuracy of the user's magic. It was primarily designed to work with Material Burst, to increase Tatsuya's control over the effects of that spell, but it could be adapted to work with any systemized magic. Tatsuya's concentration was disrupted by a soft knock on his front door. Using Elemental Sight, he could see that it was Miyuki. _"So she's here already, huh? I must have been working longer than I thought."_ Though the Shiba siblings had pre-arranged the meeting, it still surprised Tatsuya to see his sister standing at his door. "Come in," he said.

"Excuse me." To an outside observer, the standard polite greeting would have seemed out-of-place, but to Miyuki and Tatsuya, it was the least-awkward option. What were they supposed to say? The truth is it didn't matter. Regardless what they did or said, the fact remained that they had no relationship whatsoever, and that was largely because of their family.

Miyuki entered her brother's home. _"No, house,"_ she thought. _"Home is where the heart is, and Tatsuya-sama has no heart with which to make a home."_ She took her shoes off by the door. Tatsuya entered the room and walked toward his sister. He didn't get too close; for some reason, each party wanted to maintain their personal space. Hugs, or any sort of affection, felt just as weird as calling this stranger "sister" or "brother."

"Ah, you're here. Welcome, Miyuki."

"Thank you for inviting me. I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to talk at school."

"You don't have to apologize. Everything worked out in the end."

"Okay, Tatsuya-sama. I'm sorry for-" Miyuki looked away as she almost said "apologizing."

"Miyuki..." Tatsuya didn't like seeing his sister so...weak. She looked like she was about to cry, and that was no way for the future matriarch of the Yotsuba to act. Granted, she was only fifteen years old and was supposed to be having an emotional reunion with her older brother, but still...seeing her cry made him want to ask about what was wrong. Except he already knew what was wrong. It was him.

Miyuki was indeed crying about her brother, or at least the brother that she could've had if their situation was any different. _"Tatsuya-sama, I'm sorry that we never got to have a real relationship. If I had asked, our aunt would have let me see you..."_ Miyuki knew this was a lie, yet she believed it. _"...but I never asked. I knew how the family felt about you, and I chose to go along with them instead of fight for us. I'm sorry..."_

"Tatsuya-sama, this was a bad idea. I will go now."

"Okay, Miyuki, but why do you believe this is a bad idea?" Tatsuya didn't know that their private moment had stirred up Miyuki's emotions and that she was trying to hide it. In reflection, he might have only made things worse.

"Tatsuya-sama?" She stopped as she was walking out the door. "Do you really believe that our relationship can be fixed by talking? We haven't seen each other for three years. _THREE_. _YEARS_." Miyuki stressed the last two words to add emphasis on the extent of time they had been separated. "On top of that, society as we know it expects me to look down on you. And you know what? I do. Tatsuya-sama, you're my older brother..." the words seemed flat as she spoke them. "...and the one who saved my life, and the lives of many other people at Okinawa. Do you know how much it pains me to look down on you?"

"Miyuki..."

"Don't "Miyuki" me! You have lived the last three years of your life in the luxury of our aunt's mansion. I have not. I have an apartment that is just a short drive from here, in downtown. And do you know what I do in that apartment? I become a Yotsuba. I host parties for our family. I let our cousins stay in the guest rooms when they're in town. And all I hear are praises, how kind I am, how beautiful I am, how much better I am that that _defect_.

"But they're right, you know. And that is what pains me; they're right and I know it, but I don't want to admit it out of some childish respect for you. That's why this is a bad idea, Tatsuya." The lack of the respectful epithet "-sama" confirmed Miyuki's feelings to Tatsuya. "I have to go now. I don't know when next I'll see you, and to be honest, I prefer it that way." And with that, she shut the door.

Tatsuya was left standing alone in the middle of his living room. He thought about going after Miyuki, but on account of how his last attempt ended, he chose to instead go back to work. He somehow doubted that he would be able to sleep that night.

* * *

 **~April 6th, 2095~**

It was the first day of Invitation Week, when every school club would be recruiting. As such, this was often a stressful time for the Disciplinary Committee.

"Once again this year, the week of unbridled shenanigans is upon us." Mari was addressing the entirety of the Disciplinary, which was only nine people, including Mari and Tatsuya. "As the snagging of talented club members is a crucial task that directly influences the power map of each club, it is unfortunately not uncommon for the ensuing mad scramble to degenerate into no-holds-barred fistfights or magic shootouts. Luckily, this year we were able to replace our departing graduates in time. Let me introduce them to you," she said, referring of course to Tatsuya and Morisaki. "Stand up." Both followed her command and stood at attention. "This is Morisaki Shun of 1-A, and Shiba Tatsuya of 1-E. They'll be joining the patrol detail right away." One of the other officers pointed halfheartedly toward the newcomers, particularly at Tatsuya.

"Are they gonna be of any use?"

"Don't worry, they're both competent. I've already observed Shiba's skills in person, and Morisaki can wield a pretty mean device himself. Does anyone else have anything more to say?" Mari waited a few seconds to see if anyone would protest a Course 2 student being a member of the Disciplinary Committee. "Fine. Then let's send you on your way. Mobilize!" With that, the entire Disciplinary Committee stood, saluted, and began their patrols-with the exception of Tatsuya and Shun, who stayed behind to be briefed by Mari.

"First off, let me give you these." She handed both of them armbands and a pocket recording device which they were to use in case they ever made an arrest. "Also, about the CADs. Disciplinary Committee officers are permitted to carry CADs on the school grounds. There's no need to request anyone's permission to use them. But if you're found to have used them inappropriately, not only will you be relieved of your post, but you'll also be penalized severely by the general student body. So don't take this lightly."

"I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"Are we allowed to use the committee's equipment as CADs?" Tatsuya was obviously interested in the junk they had been cleaning up on the afternoon of his battle.

"That's fine, but those are old-school, you know."

"True, they may be old-school, but they're also top-flight items calibrated for experts." Tatsuya had a point.

"If that's the case, then feel free to use them." From Mari's declaration and the tone in her voice, Tatsuya doubted that she had ever used or inspected the CADs that were at her disposal. "They were just sitting there collecting dust, anyway."

"Then I'll be borrowing these two."

"Two of them? You really are an interesting one, aren't you?

As they stepped out of the Committee's headquarters, Mari called to them one last time.

"Tatsuya! Morisaki! Don't you want to know your patrol assignments?"

"Yes, Chairwoman." The answer came from both parties simultaneously.

"Okay. You are both to patrol the main grounds, starting here..." she said as she pointed to a map, "...and ending here. Feel free to enter any of the gymnasiums, as well."

"Chairwoman..." Shun, who had been quiet during the entire meeting, now spoke up. "Do you want us to patrol together?"

"Yes, Ms. Watanabe," Tatsuya said. "That does seem to be the impression you gave off...I am just wondering if we are correct in that assumption." The look on both of their faces was priceless.

"Oh, did I not mention that part?" Mari feigned ignorance, but both Shun and Tatsuya knew that she left it ambiguous on purpose. "Yes, you will be patrolling together. Have fun!" With that, she shut the door behind them, effectively ending the conversation. The adversaries stood there in silence for a minute.

"Hey." It was Shun who broke the ice.

"What?"

"There's no way that you can activate magic by using two CADs simultaneously. You lowly Course 2 student...get over yourself already!"

* * *

 **~Later That Morning~**

Tatsuya and Shun hadn't said a word to each other as they wandered around the campus. They meandered through the hallways, stopping by the lockers and classrooms, then toured the club booths that were set up in the quad. Eventually, they made their way to one of the gymnasiums, in which Tatsuya found Erika watching a kendo match. He saw that she looked less than happy, so he initiated conversation.

"Hey, Erika."

"Oh, hey, Tatsuya."

"I take it that you're not thrilled."

"Well, it's so boring. Trying so hard to look good sparring, and then delivering a predetermined blow. This is no better than a staged sword fight!"

"Erika...it is a staged sword fight," Tatsuya deadpanned.

"You know what I mean."

"Well, it is an exhibition geared for publicity, and isn't that what it should be? It's not something you can show to others, right? Since a true martial arts battle is, in other words, two people killing each other."

"You're so cool-headed about it."

"Or maybe I'm just not as emotionally invested?" A gasp was heard from the gymnasium floor, where it looked like the kendo and kenjutsu clubs were in the middle of a confrontation. Tatsuya saw Shun watching from the sidelines, and despite his distaste of the young Morisaki, he decided to go and join his fellow Disciplinary Committee officer, in case things got out of hand. As he got closer, he heard parts of the argument.

"There's still more than an hour before the Kenjutsu Club is up, Kirihara!" This came from a girl in a traditional kendo outfit, bamboo training sword in hand. "Why can't you wait until then?"

"Not what I expected, Mibu." Apparently the girl was Mibu and the guy was Kirihara. "Since you can't put your abilities on display sparring with such a newbie, I just thought a little collaboration was in order."

"You're the one who forced him to challenge you! Collaboration my foot!"

"But it was the Kendo Club who struck first."

"Because you provoked us, Kirihara!"

"This is starting to get juicy, huh?" Erika had followed Tatsuya, anxious to be rid of her boredom.

"Do you know those two?"

"Well, not personally, but I have heard of them. The girl is Mibu Sayaka." Just as Tatsuya had assumed. "The year before last, she was second place in the National Junior High Kendo Tournament for Girls. The guy is Kirihara Takeaki. The same year, he won the Kanto Region Junior High Kenjutsu Tournament." As Erika was explaining this to Shun and Tatsuya, Kirihara challenged Mibu. She accepted.

"I'm going to stop this!" Shun announced it like it was some great feat of heroism which he was about to attempt.

"Morisaki. Might it not be best to let them resolve this with a duel?" Tatsuya asked. "Or are you that eager to make an arrest?"

"...Fine. I'll let them fight. But I'm intervening if it gets out of hand."

"As one would expect from an officer of the Disciplinary Committee." They turned back to watch the duel.

"Don't you worry, Mibu. This is a kendo demonstration. I'll do you a favor and not use any magic."

"You think you stand a chance against me with just sword skills? You, Kirihara, coming from the spell-dependent Kenjutsu Club, a match for a member of the Kendo Club, where we focus solely on honing sword skills?"

"Focus soley on honing sword skills? Right. You're full of bluster, Mibu." This seemed to be getting emotional, so Tatsuya turned on his pocket recorder. Shun noticed and followed suit. "I'll be happy to show you, then. What it means to battle in a dimension beyond the limits of physical ability...the sword skills of kenjutsu!" They lept toward each other and attacked. Each landed a blow on the other.

"A draw?" Erika asked in disbelief.

"No, they're not equal," Tatsuya and Shun replied at the same time. Both Mibu and Kirihara also noticed this, but Mibu was the one who spoke.

"If this was a real sword, you'd be fatally wounded. As for me, your strike stopped short of the bone. Accept your defeat like a good loser."

"If it was a real sword? You disappoint me. Mibu, is that what you want? To fight with real swords? If that's the case, then I'll oblige you. I'll take you on with a real sword," Kirihara said as he activated his CAD. With Elemental Sight, Tatsuya was able to read the activation sequence. _"Oscillation-type Close Combat spell, Sonic Blade."_ The magic sequence extended around the shaft of Kirihara's sword, giving it a yellow glow. He lunged again at Mibu and slashed her, cutting clean through her protective Kendo gear.

"I'm stopping this! You stay here where you won't get hurt, Weed." Shun ran towards the fighters as Kirihara gloated and Tatsuya sighed.

"How do you like that, Mibu? This is a real sword!" Kirihara lept toward Mibu once more.

Morisaki Shun stepped in front of Mibu Sayaka as Kirihara Takeaki swung his blade. Shun put up a hand to block the incoming blow.

Kirihara's sword sliced through Shun's arm and plunged into his chest, continuing all the way through his body until it exited his torso near his waist.


	4. Enrollment Part 4

**Author's Note: With this episode, I'm already over halfway done with the Enrollment arc. Feels like a milestone that should be recognized. Thanks for reading!**

 **[Episode 4: Enrollment - Part 4]**

 _"Core Eidos data... Reading from backup."_

 _"Begin retracing Eidos changelog."_

 _"Confirm restore point."_

 _"Load Magic Sequence... Complete."_

Erika saw Morisaki-that idiot-run straight into the middle of a dangerous kendo battle. She saw him try to block Kirihara's attack. Kirihara...missed? It looked like Kirihara's blade passed right through Morisaki, but the latter seemed unhurt.

Everyone's attention was on the duel which had taken a deadly turn, literally, so no one except the man with glasses saw Tatsuya place his Silver Horn back in its holster. He didn't want to save Morisaki, but he really didn't want to have to clean up the mess. It was a very real threat that the investigation into Morisaki's death would uncover Tatsuya's real identity and powers, so saving him was the most logical choice.

"Who are you? Why did you do that?" Kirihara was fuming. "I could've killed you with that blow!"

"I-U-Uh, I'm Morisaki Shun of the Disciplinary Committee."

"Are you insane? Do you know how dangerous that was?" This came not from Kirihara, but Mibu.

"I-well-I am now," stuttered Morisaki. "C-Can someone tell me what just happened?"

"I missed," said Kirihara, sheathing his sword. "Be thankful I did."

"Excuse me. I am Shiba Tatsuya, also of the Disciplinary Committee." Both Mibu and Kirihara turned to the newcomer.

"Oh? You must be the smart one, to have refrained from interacting."

"Kirihara-sama, I am placing you under arrest for the improper use of magic. Please come with me. Morisaki?" Shun looked up at Tatsuya.

"I recommend you receive a medical examination. You can never be too safe." Tatsuya said this knowing full well that his Regrowth had fixed any damage to Morisaki's body, but he had to keep up appearances. With some luck, no one would have noticed him use his Silver Horn.

* * *

 **~Later That Morning~**

Tatsuya stood before Mayumi, Mari, and the Chairman of the Extracurricular Activities Federation, Jumonji Katsuto. Even though Shun had been the officer who participated in the confrontation, Tatsuya was the arresting officer, which was more important.

"So you didn't see how it started, then?" Mari, being the Disciplinary Committee's Chairwoman, was taking the lead in the review board.

"Right. All I saw was Ms. Mibu of the kendo team and Mr. Kirihara of the kenjutsu team arguing."

"And that, according to Morisaki, is why you didn't raise a hand at first." Mayumi said this with a sigh of relief, as if Tatsuya had been cleared from wrongdoing. Her eyes, however, told a different story. She was worried about something.

"I thought that if they were only going to end up with bruises, then they should settle the score among themselves."

"I guess that's fine. The Disciplinary Committee has no intention of sending this matter to the Correctional Committee. What do you say, Jumonji?" The large, imposing third year student had sat with his arms crossed and brow furrowed during the entire meeting, but now he spoke up.

"I appreciate your lenient ruling. He used a highly lethal spell. Normally, there would be no escaping suspension. I'm sure he's aware of that himself. I'll counsel him to learn from this mistake of his. As for the boy..."

"...Morisaki Shun?"

"Yes, him. What do you intend to do about him, Watanabe?"

"Well, he didn't violate any school regulations, so officially he's not in any trouble. I will counsel him, as well, to be less reckless and brash in his actions."

"And what about the kendo team?" Mayumi was referring specifically to Mibu Sayaka.

"The moment she took up the gauntlet, she was equally to blame. But let me confirm one more thing: Tatsuya, was Kirihara the only one who used magic?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"So what were you doing with your Silver Horn at the moment Kirihara swung at Morisaki?" This question completely changed the tone of the previously informal review. "Before you answer, I would like to listen to this recording of our interview with your partner, Morisaki."

"Chairwoman..."

"Just listen." Mari played an audio file from her tablet.

 _ **Mari: So what happened?**_

 _ **Shun: Ms. Mibu and Mr. Kirihara got in a fight, and I stopped it.**_

 _ **Mari: Is that all?**_

 _ **Shun: ...that We-Course 2 student arrested Kirihara for the improper use of magic.**_

 _ **Mari: Okay. So what happened when you stepped in front of Kirihara's blade? Witnesses say it passed right through you, like it didn't even harm you.**_

 _ **Shun: May I speak freely, Chairwoman?**_

 _ **Mari: Go ahead.**_

 _ **Shun: Right before I was hit...**_

 _ **Mari: So it did hit you?**_

 _ **Shun: Yes, but I'm fine now.**_

 _ **Mari: Okay, please continue.**_

 _ **Shun: Right before I was hit, time seemed to slow. I saw Kirihara's sword in the air, ready to strike, and I thought, "It's just a bamboo training sword. Sure, it'll sting a little, but I can stop it easily." I put my hand up to catchit, but it went right through my hand. I felt it as it severed tendons from bones. For a second, I couldn't feel my fingers anymore. There was pain, but it was too overwhelming to comprehend. The sword then hit my neck, right here near my shoulder. It hurt then, too, as it sliced through my body. I felt it exit my body, and I silently prayed for anything, anyone to save me. And then, the pain stopped. I could feel my fingers and lower body again. And as I came to my senses, Kirihara was yelling at me for getting in the way of his sword.**_

 _ **Mari: I...I don't even know what to say to that. Can you tell me anything else?**_

 _ **Shun: Yes...I did feel psions around me, like how it feels when an activation sequence is sent to your Magic Calculation Area, but...fuller, more real, more complete.**_

Mari abruptly switched off the tape. "You can understand why I asked if anyone else was using magic, Tatsuya. That part at the end - when he's talking about psions? That sounds like someone cast a spell on him, a spell that completely healed what would've been a fatal, irreversible injury. And you said that no one else was using magic. So imagine my surprise, when I look at this CCTV footage, and see the exact opposite." She turned her tablet around and showed Tatsuya a video.

 _ **Mibu and Kirihara were arguing, then dueling. Mibu said something to Kirihara. He responded by activating a spell- Sonic Blade. He slashed at Mibu, but didn't injure her. He raised his sword to strike again, but Morisaki Shun jumped in front of it. Shiba Tatsuya drew his Silver Horn, and held it in a hip-fire stance. Kirihara cut through Morisaki, and Tatsuya activated a spell. Morisaki appeared shaken, but was drawn into a confrontation with Kirihara and Mibu. Tatsuya then arrested Kirihara.**_

"The School Board required security cameras to be placed in every space where a teacher and a student might find themselves alone. This was put in place after an incident during the school's first years of operation. The cameras are almost useless, but right now I'm glad we still have them."

"Tatsuya," said Mayumi. "Please, tell the truth. Did you cast a spell on Morisaki Shun that healed his injuries?" Thankfully, he found a loophole in their questioning that allowed him to keep his secrets and placate their curiosity at the same time.

"No, I did not cast any healing spell." Mari frowned at this statement from Tatsuya. "I don't know who healed Morisaki, but it wasn't me."

"Really, Tatsuya?" Mayumi looked disappointed, like she had expected him to reveal himself as a master spellcaster. However, no matter how hard she cried, he couldn't tell her-or the student council-about his innate abilities, because doing so might lead them to his Yotsuba connections. And his okaa-sama had expressly forbidden him from doing that, which left Tatsuya with only one choice: to hide the truth from Mayumi, Mari, and anyone who was interested. If he had known the extent to which Mari would go in this review, he certainly would have been more careful when casting Regrowth. After all, spells didn't require the caster to flamboyantly point their CAD at someone for it to work. The caster just had to be able to see their target.

"Okay, then." Mari seemed reluctant to let Tatsuya go without explaining, but there was nothing left to say. "I guess you're dismissed, but Tatsuya - I'm going to have my eye on you. I know you're hiding something, and I'm going to find out what it is."

"Chairwoman..." Tatsuya addressed Mari as he was leaving. "Do I strike you as the type who lies just for the fun of it?"

"Well, no...in the few interactions I've had with you, you're always brutally honest."

"Then if I am, hypothetically, keeping some bit of knowledge to myself, I must have a good reason, correct?"

"Well..." Mari could feel herself slipping. It wasn't like her to lose an argument to a first year student.

"In that case, what purpose would it serve to reveal my personal secrets to the world?"

"Tatsuya." Jumonji stopped him from continuing. "If it's not plain to you already, Ms. Watanabe is feeling very uncomfortable by your questions. Please, don't continue to harass her." Even though Jumonji said 'please,' Tatsuya got the feeling that this was more of a command than a request.

"Very well. Excuse me." And with that, Tatsuya left the room and returned to his patrol.

"Saegusa. You care for that boy." Jumonji stated this as a fact, not a question.

"I do not...not deeply, anyway. I'm no idiot; I doubt I would ever be allowed to date someone from a numberless family."

"Ah, but the thing is, Mayumi..." said Mari as she jumped in, "...he might be from a numbered family. Don't forget his connections to Four Leaves Technology. At the very least, he's probably very rich. He'd have to be, in order to afford two Silver Horns."

"Mari, what are you saying?" Mayumi looked shocked, even though she had been thinking the same things as Mari.

"Well, I'm not sure of anything, but I'm going to sent his name to Shu-I mean, Naotsugu." Mari's boyfriend, a member of the Chiba family, had connections all across Japan. If anyone knew anything about Shiba Tatsuya, Naotsugu was the one to ask.

"Watanabe, I will not stop you from doing this." Jumonji's tone indicated that there was advice incoming. "However, be aware of the boy's warning: you might not like what you find. Count the cost before going into battle."

"Thanks for the advice, Jumonji. I won't do anything rash. After all, I don't want to spook him into running away from our sweet little Mayumi!"

"Mari! What was that for?" Mayumi was uncharacteristicly angry at the Disciplinary Committee chairwoman. "That was not necessary at all!"

* * *

 **~That Evening~**

Tatsuya's friends-Leo, Erika, and Mizuki-were meeting at a local coffeehouse that night, and he hurried to meet them after leaving First High. Unfortunately, he had run into Mayumi, who insisted on talking to him. He didn't want to offend her, and he knew that his friends wouldn't care, but he ended up arriving late.

"Sorry to keep you waiting so long." Seeing the hunger in Leo's eyes, Tatsuya said, "Don't be shy - eat as much as you want."

"All right!" Then, to the waitress, "Thank you for the meal!" While Tatsuya wanted to forget all about the duel, current events seemed to be all they wanted to talk about. "So anyway, that second year named Kirihara used a Rank B Lethal spell, right? You're lucky you didn't get hurt."

"You weren't there, Leo! Tatsuya was fine on the sidelines," Erika chimed in. "It was that idiot Morisaki who's lucky-" Erika cut her statement short when Morisaki walked into the cafe. "Speak of the Devil."

"Excuse me." Morisaki approached the Course 2 group. "I heard that Shiba-sama might be here from Ms. Saegusa..." The fact that Shun was referring to Tatsuya with respect surprised everyone, Tatsuya most of all. "May I speak with you, Shiba?"

"Sure, Morisaki. Excuse me." The two first years moved over to the corner booth so they could have some privacy. No, not that kind of privacy. Get your mind out of the gutter.

"Shiba-sama, Ms. Saegusa told me what you did. She didn't say how..."

"...because I didn't tell her how..."

"...but she said that it's only because of you that I am still alive." Shun took a deep breath, and continued. "It's hard to say this, but..." His nerves were clearly on edge. "Shiba-sama, I have wronged you in the past, and I would like to apologize."

"I accept your apology."

"Shiba...knowing that without you, I wouldn't be sitting here today...that has forced me to...reconsider...how I view other people, especially Course 2 students." He threw his hands up in exasperation. "I never even considered that Course 2 students might have their own secret abilities. I was kind of raised that way - my family has always told me not to tolerate those who are below me. They say that makes one weak, and that a Morisaki cannot afford to be weak. Admitting all of this to you...well, they would say I'm weak."

"I say you're strong."

"What?"

"You have the intelligence to recognize your own shortcomings, and the moral strength to fix them. That's something rarely found in guys our age."

"Oh...thank you...I've never really looked at it that way before... But then again, this is the first time that I have ever 'recognized a shortcoming,' as you put it." A sudden depression came over Shun's face, but was quickly replaced by a look of determination. "I haven't even begun to fix it, though. But I'll start by being your friend."

"What?" This startled Tatsuya. Did Morisaki Shun really want to be friends? What was the world coming to? Tatsuya half-expected to wake up from a dream, into a world where he and Shun were enemies.

"It's the least I can do. After I may have ruined your relationship with your sister..."

"Morisaki. What are you talking about?"

"I've tried to split you two apart. You know that. I told her that you were beneath her as well, even though you're her brother. The worst part is that she seemed to believe me."

"Morisaki, any stress in the relationship between my sister and I is not any fault of yours." Tatsuya was not being comforting when he said this; he was coldly stating a fact. "You said that you were raised upon the notion of looking down at those beneath you. So was my sister. Even though I'm older than her, she has always known that in terms of magic power, she is stronger. So you can see that nothing about my relationship with Miyuki is your fault."

"I'll have to take your word for it, Shiba." Morisaki sighed. "It's strange, you know? Having to decide who you want to be, what kind of person you want to become versus what kind of person you are. I mean, after everything I did to you-"

"Morisaki, you're acting like you've been tormenting me for years, when we're not even a week into school. We've only met a handful of times; how much do you really think you could've done?"

"A lot, Shiba. I think I could've done a lot. I definitely gave you a bad impression of Course 1 students. Say, Shiba, aren't you angry at the discrimination against you and your friends?"

"Of course I'm angry," replied Tatsuya.

"W-What? Well, you certainly do a good job of hiding it."

"It's just that my expectations of this school only go so far. Morisaki, you want to be a combat magician, correct?"

"Yes. It's why I love the Monolith Code event so much."

"Well, I want to be a magic engineer." Suddenly so much about Tatsuya became clear to Morisaki. If he wanted to become a magic engineer, then he must be exceptionally intelligent. "So as long as I can get a diploma from a magic high school, and have access to classified research and materials, I don't care what people think of me."

"You have to be the most mature student I've ever met, Shiba."

"Thank you, Morisaki, but it's not maturity. It's just that I don't care." Tatsuya was unbelievably close to revealing his secrets to Morisaki-Morisaki!-which was completely unacceptable. He decided to change the direction of the conversation. "Should we head back over to the other table? I'll introduce you to everyone." Tatsuya knew that Morisaki might become a valuable ally in the future, so he treated Morisaki as such: an asset to be manipulated.

* * *

 **~April 9th, 2095~**

On the fourth day of the Invitation Week, Tatsuya was called to the First Gymnasium to diffuse a brawl. As he ran to the gym, his Elemental Sight detected a spell being cast nearby. It was an area-of-effect type spell, targeting the spot right in front of him. He quickly stopped, spun around, and used the dual CADs that he picked up from the Disciplinary Committee to cast Specific Magic Jamming. His attacker turned tail and fled, but not before Tatsuya glimpsed a multicolored wristband on his attacker's arm. Tatsuya gave chase, but was outmatched when the assailant launched a movement spell that greatly increased the length of his strides. Tatsuya thought fast, and decided to use his Silver Horn to cast an altered form of Decomposition.

Decomposition is a spell that allows the caster to literally "de-compose" their target, as long as the target is represented in the Idea Dimension. The spell can break anything into its base parts-even microscopic particles, such as atoms. It is the base spell for Material Burst, which decomposes matter into energy. Tatsuya is able to alter the level of decomposition at will; this makes it an incredibly versatile and dangerous weapon.

The form of Decomposition which Tatsuya used on his attacker merely decomposed his legs, rendering him incapable of running away. Tatsuya walked over to the motionless man, grabbed him by his jacket's hood, and pulled the assailant into the woods. He contacted a member of the Yotsuba Main House, and a representative came to retrieve the body.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"Tatsuya, you got another committee meeting today?" Leo asked. "Isn't recruitment week over?"

"Yeah. I'm off-duty today," Tatsuya replied. "Looks like I'm finally getting some down time."

"You sure were front and center in all that activity. I've heard rumors that they're calling you the mysterious first year who manipulated Morisaki into almost getting himself killed."

"What do you mean, mysterious?"

"That's the part you notice? Not the part about you manipulating Morisaki?"

"Umm, excuse me? Are you Shiba Tatsuya?" He turned to see Mibu Sayaka standing in front of him.

"Yes, and you're Ms. Mibu, correct?"

"Yes. We met a couple days ago, but I never introduced myself. I'm Mibu Sayaka, in Class E, same as you." Tatsuya looked at her shoulders and saw an empty space where the First High emblem should have been. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out with me for a little while?"

"Tatsuya, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Leo politely excused himself from the conversation.

"Yes, Ms. Mibu. I can certainly hang out with you."

"That's great! Do you mind if we go to the cafe to talk?" She was referring to the on-campus coffeehouse for students.

"That would be great." In his mind, Tatsuya was examining the girl's motives. _"She's probably just going to ask me to join the kendo team. But is that really all there is? What else could it be?"_ Tatsuya decided then, that the girl must be seeking a new member for her club.

* * *

 **~That Afternoon~**

"...and although I did hurt him, Kirihara and I crossed swords fully prepared to sustain injury, after all." The two Course 2 students were entrenched in conversation after the long walk to the cafe, though calling it a conversation was a stretch. Sayaka did all of the talking, and Tatsuya was quietly forming his own speech in his mind. "And yet, there are a lot of people who want to make a big deal out of such a trivial matter," she continued. Disciplinary Committee officers...so they can score points for themselves." At this, Tatsuya had to object.

"Well, I'm a member of that committee myself, so..."

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean it that way, I swear!" She launched into a downward spiral. "Sure, I can't stand those people, but... Wait... That's not..." Where at first she was nervous, now she looked slightly frustrated. "Hey, Shiba, are you a bully?" He knew that he had to get the conversation back on track. Somehow.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'll be blunt." That would be a first. "Shiba, will you join the kendo team?" Tatsuya did not flinch at hearing this question, and he did not hesitate in his response.

"I appreciate the offer, but I decline."

"Would you mind telling me the reason?"

"I do not believe it would look good for a member of the Disciplinary Committee to join the kendo team after arresting a member of the kenjutsu team. It might be skewed as bribery, or some sort of prerequisite for entry." Tatsuya knew that this wouldn't hold up under heavy scrutiny, but it was enough of a reason with which to excuse himself. After all, he had a date to get to.

"I see." Sayaka appeared to ponder his explanation for a while, but then decided it was not worth arguing over.

"I would love to continue this discussion, Ms. Mibu, but I'm afraid that right now I have a meeting to get to. I hope I have been good company this afternoon. Please excuse me." He tried to be polite as possible while still forcing his point.

"Oh...okay. Thank you, Shiba, for accompanying me today."

"You're welcome." Tatsuya got up, pushed in his seat, and walked out the door.

* * *

 **~That Night~**

It had been ages since Tatsuya had been back to the Yotsuba mansion. Though this time, he was there for business, not pleasure. _"As if I could get any pleasure from this house."_

He made his way to the dungeon. In a small cell in the lowest depths of the basement sat his attacker, from earlier. Maybe sitting wouldn't be the right word, as he was still missing his legs. As Tatsuya entered the cell, his prisoner's eyes widened and he tried to crawl away from Tatsuya.

"Please, control yourself. I am not here to hurt you, nor am I here for this unseemly display." The man stopped crawling, and rolled over onto his back so that he could see Tatsuya. "Good. That's better." Tatsuya motioned to the small cot that was in the corner. "Please, sit. Oh - I'm sorry." Tatsuya raised his CAD again and activated Regrowth.

 _"Core Eidos data... Reading from backup."_

 _"Begin retracing Eidos changelog."_

 _"Confirm restore point."_

 _"Load Magic Sequence... Complete."_

Regrowth, the same spell that he had used to save Morisaki, had the opposite effect as Decomposition. Using Elemental Sight, Tatsuya located the target's data-their Eidos-within the Idea Dimension. Inside the Eidos is a "changelog" of every physical change to the Eidos in the last 24 hours; Tatsuya found a point where his target was without injury, and wrote that data as a Magic Sequence, a spell.

When someone casts a spell, it affects the target's Eidos. So, if you cast a spell that _is_ a target's Eidos onto that same target's current Eidos, the previous Eidos is overlaid onto the current Eidos, which then affects the physical dimension. The real-life effects of this are that any wound can disappear as if it never happened, as long as it happened within 24 hours. There is a limit to this spell, however, as it cannot bring back the dead: their bodies may be restored, but their minds are lost. Therefore, Regrowth must be cast while the person's brain is still alive and while the wound is still fresh. Even considering these limitations, the possibilities are nearly infinite.

Having used Regrowth on the prisoner, Tatsuya again motioned for him to sit. When he did, Tatsuya continued his interrogation.

"Now - let's start with your name."

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

"Tatsuya? Is it true that you emotionally abused the second year, Mibu, in the cafe yesterday?"

Tatsuya, back from the morning's patrol, was having lunch with Mayumi, Mari, and A-chan. Obviously, word had gotten out of Tatsuya's abrupt departure.

"Since you are a refined young lady, I don't think you should be batting around vulgar phrases like "abuse." It's not appropriate of someone in your position, Chairwoman."

"Thanks! You're the only one who treats me like a refined young lady, Tatsuya."

"Is that right?" Tatsuya's tone was somewhat skeptical. "Not treating his own girlfriend as a lady...apparently, your boyfriend isn't much of a gentleman." Tatsuya was trying to provoke Mari, and it worked.

"That's not true! Shu is..." she said as she stood up in defense of Naotsugu. Realizing that such outbursts were as impolite as accusing Tatsuya of abuse, she awaited Tatsuya's scolding. Oddly enough, it never came. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Should I make some kind of comment?" Tatsuya's sarcastic remark sealed Mari's fate. Mayumi tried to hide her laughter, but failed. Defeated, Mari sank back down into her seat, and continued with her original line of questioning.

"So is it true that you emotionally abused Mibu of the kendo team?"

"That's not the least bit true." Tatsuya proceeded to recount their entire conversation.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Trying to score points, huh? Mibu's mistaken about that," Mari said. "The Disciplinary Committee is just an honorary post, and isn't subject to evaluation."

"That's true," Mayumi began, "but it's also a fact that the Disciplinary Committee wields considerable power within the school. Some will see you as misusing your authority. Well, but there is someone who's been manipulating that impression..." Even though Mayumi seemed lost in thought, Tatsuya was paying close attention and stood at her last statement.

"Do you know that person's identity?" he asked with a fervor in his voice.

"No, no, it's just a rumor."

"If we knew who it was," Mari interjected, "we'd have stopped him already."

"I don't mean that," Tatsuya said. "I'm talking about the people behind whoever's doing the manipulation. For example, the anti-magic international political organization, Blanche." The revelation that Tatsuya knew about that company shocked Mari and Mayumi.

"What?"

"How do you know that name? That's classified information..."

"It would be impossible to keep a lid on all sources of rumors." Though this was true, Tatsuya did not learn about Blanche from a mere rumor. "On the contrary, I think that such things should be fully disclosed. The government has been ineffectual in its handling of this matter."

"I agree-" Mayumi was cut off by Mari.

"Learn about that in a rumor, did you?" All eyes turned to her. "That's a pretty advanced opinion for you to have, despite not having any actual confirmation that Blanche existed before today..."

"Ms. Watanabe, what are you insinuating?"

"Oh, I'm sorry if you thought I was insinuating something. Actually, what you said confirmed some suspicions that I had." Tatsuya did not like where this was going. "Azusa, could you please give us the room?"

"Hai." A-chan knew that something important was about to happen, and even though she wanted to be a part of it, she trusted Mari's judgment.

"Tatsuya, before I begin, perhaps you would like to explain your connections to Four Leaves Technology?"

"Ms. Watanabe-"

"Or perhaps you'd rather be referred to under a different name..."

Tatsuya was dreading Mari's next words. If she had discovered that he was a Yotsuba, who knows what else might happen? The Watanabe family was a part of the Hundred Families, but in terms of researching and access, they were nothing special. If a Watanabe daughter-who wasn't even from the main house, at that-was able to discover his true identity, or even his 101st Battalion codename...the Ten Master Clans wouldn't be far behind. And if someone outed him as the "Obsidian Demon," the magician who repelled the Invasion of Okinawa with a nuclear blast, entire nations would be after his head. The superpowers of the world would either want to hire him, kill him, or dissect him. He strongly suspected that the latter two would be their first choices. Having realized this, Tatsuya turned his attention back to Mari, who smiled deviously.

"...Mr. Silver."


	5. Enrollment Part 5

**Author's Note: This one's going to be a little bit shorter, as I'm saving the debate part of the episode for the next chapter. Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the Tatsuya/Maya relationship building.**

 **[Episode 5: Enrollment - Part 5]**

A very important meeting was taking place. At first glance, one would have thought that the two students were just having a friendly conversation. That was as far from the truth as possible; the girl was angry, but the guy tried to stay calm. One was a leader, the other, a follower. Together they were trying to decide their next course of action, even though the guy held all the power and could easily manipulate the girl.

"Just because I'm a Course 2 student, I don't want people to reject even my non-magical aspects!" The girl, Mibu Sayaka, was venting after her embarassment at the cafe. "I-I don't want even my sword to be..." She couldn't bear to finish the thought.

"Mibu, that sentiment is shared by every other Course 2 student," said the man with glasses. "But we need his power, no matter what. It could literally be the difference between life and death for us, and our cause."

* * *

 **~That Night~**

"Ah, Tatsuya. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you when you dropped by the mansion the other day." He was on a video call with his aunt/adoptive mother.

"It's fine, okaa-sama. I wasn't there to chat."

"But weren't you? I listened in on your little talk with that Egalite member." Egalite was a child organization of Blanche, focused mainly on recruiting high school students. "It was an interesting choice to let him go. And how did you manage to erase the memory of his kidnapping?"

"I fine-tuned a version of Regrowth to specifically reset the areas of his brain than handle short-term memory, okaa-sama."

"I would expect no less of my son." Maya seemed proud of her son's inhumane accomplishment. "But how do you keep all of your other subjects from losing their memories?"

"It depends, okaa-sama. Usually, the target will indeed lose whatever memories they have made after the selected restoration point, but their consciousness will remain the same. If I want someone to remember something, however, then I will manually delete any changes to the brain from the magic sequence."

"You are quite the genius, Tatsuya, and it's always interesting to listen to you explain magic. But I would have preferred it if you had just killed him..."

"But if he were dead, how could he lead me to their base?"

"Ah, so that's where you're going with it." Maya had suspected this was the case, but she wasn't quite sure. "How are you tracking him? I would think that creating a familiar would be outside of your skill set."

"I am constantly monitoring him with half of my Elemental Sight."

"Tatsuya, did you stop watching Miyuki?"

"Okaa-sama...I do not think Miyuki would appreciate my constant observation of her, considering the differences between us. She is entitled to her private moments." Tatsuya offered this as an explanation, but in reality, he had stopped watching Miyuki after her visit to his house. He trusted her, after all, to take care of herself.

"Not that I approve of these measures, Tatsuya, but am I to understand that you will resume your monitoring of Miyuki once you have found the location of Blanche's Japan branch?" Even though Maya phrased this as a question, it was really a command.

"Yes, okaa-sama."

"Then hurry, Tatsuya. Destroy them."

"Yes, okaa-sama."

"By the way, I've heard that several people have been poking around FLT lately. They seem to be focusing on Taurus Silver. Do you know what that is about?" Maya's carefully spoken question concealed undertones of malice, and it wasn't rare for her to suddenly change the topic like she just had. However, it usually signaled that she was trying to catch the other person off guard, which was not a good sign.

"It would appear that I have aroused the suspicions of the student council, Ms. Watanabe in particular."

"Is that so? They haven't found out about 'Silver,' have they? After all, we put a lot of time and money into keeping his identity secret...it would be a shame for you to ruin that during your very first month at high school." Tatsuya winced, which told Maya all she needed to know. "Ah, so someone has found out. Since you mentioned Watanabe Mari, I assume it was her?"

"Yes, okaa-sama."

"Did she share this knowledge with anyone?" Any trace of kindness in Maya's voice vanished.

"Only with Ms. Saegusa, okaa-sama."

"Saegusa, you say? Why does that family always cause trouble for us?!" At this point, Maya was visibly angry. Not many members of the Yotsuba would dare to anger her, Tatsuya least of all. He couldn't have the Yotsuba as an enemy. "Very well, Tatsuya. I will deal with this problem in a manner which will not raise suspicion for you."

"Okaa-sama, if it pleases you, allow me to handle this."

"Why, Tatsuya? After you already let them discover one of your identities? I will not let them use that as a stepping stone to your other secrets!"

"Okaa-sama, I have already impressed upon them the need for complete and utter secrecy, and have asked them not to investigate any further. They agreed."

"You're young, so I'll overlook your naive assumption that they stopped inquiring after you." Maya's voice now held a twinge of contempt.

"Okaa-sama, I will talk to them again and confirm their intentions. Please, allow me this one action before you take drastic measures."

"Tatsuya. It is not your place to decide what is drastic and what is necessary. In some cases, they are one in the same. However, out of the love I feel for my son, I will allow you to talk to them. But beware, Tatsuya, as that conversation could decide their fates."

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

Tatsuya was practicing his casting with his friends. He placed his hand on the pedestal, and the activation sequence flowed up and around his forearm. He raised his right arm, and waited. An electronic timer counted the milliseconds until the magic sequence appeared.

"940 milliseconds!" Mizuki was happy for her friend. "You've cleared it, Tatsuya!"

"Finally. It took me until my third try to clear it, huh?"

"B-But that was so unexpected," said Mizuki. "So you really do struggle with practical skills..."

"Unexpected? Haven't I already made my incompetence clear numerous times?" Tatsuya didn't know why this surprised Mizuki; after all, he was a Course 2 student. His lack of practical skills shouldn't have surprised anyone.

"Well, yes, I did hear you say that...but I thought you were just being modest..."

"I'm not sure if I should be saying this myself, but if I were even average in practical skills, I probably wouldn't be in this class." Truth be told, Tatsuya was grateful to even be a Course 2 student.

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry for assuming."

"It's fine, Mizuki. Erika, I believe it is your turn-" Tatsuya was cut off by the sound of microphone feedback coming over the schoolwide intercom.

"Attention, all students! We are a volunteer coalition seeking to abolish discrimination within the school! We demand an opportunity to negotiate on equal terms with the student council and the Extracurricular Activities Federation!" The broadcast ended, and Tatsuya knew what he had to do.

"Erika. Leo. Mizuki. I'm going to head over to the broadcasting room and assess the situation"

"Roger that, Tatsuya."

Tatsuya ran to the main building, which housed the broadcasting room. A throng of students had gathered in the halls, and Tatsuya had to force his way through to get to the small gathering of upperclassmen outside the broadcasting room door, including Mari, Suzune, and Jumonji.

"You're late." Mari was less than happy with Tatsuya, considering the outcome of their previous conversation.

"I'm sorry. By the way, Chairwoman, we should talk after all of this is done," replied Tatsuya. "But right now, what's the situation?"

"We've cut the power, so they won't be doing any more broadcasting," Mari reported. "However, they've locked the door and barricaded themselves inside."

"Can't we open it from the outside?" This was a very reasonable question.

"Well, the thing is, they stole the master key..." Mari seemed embarassed that she let that theft occur.

"That's clearly a crime."

"Yes. Tatsuya, do you know any spells that could get us inside without damaging the door? After all, this building is school property..." Even though she was asking for Tatsuya's help, she acted like Tatsuya didn't have a choice in the matter. "Or we could just have that discussion now, if that's what you would prefer." Tatsuya closed his eyes and sighed.

"Everyone, please be ready to apprehend those inside." With that, Tatsuya pulled out his Silver Horn and cast Regrowth on the lock, resetting the mechanism to a point in the last 24 hours when it was unlocked. "There," he said. "The door is open now."

"Really?" Mari's curiosity was aroused. "But I didn't even hear the lock click."

"It's a thief's spell that I learned from Kokonoe. It wouldn't be any good to a thief if it made noise." Luckily for Tatsuya, no one related the spell he had just cast to the other time he had used Regrowth, in the gymnasium, so he was able to pretend that they were two separate spells. "And yes, the lock is no longer preventing you from arresting those inside." With that, the full force of the Disciplinary Committee burst through the door, surprising everyone inside.

"What is the meaning of this?!" It was Mibu Sayaka who had spoken.

"Ms. Mibu, correct? I am Jumonji of the Extracurricular Activities Federation, and this is Watanabe of the Disciplinary Committee. In case you were not already aware, the actions of you and your coalition here today violate both school and state regulations, and we are here to take you into custody." When he wanted to, Jumonji could sound really intimidating.

"While you're absolutely right about that," said Mayumi as she entered the broadcasting room, "would you mind releasing them?"

"But..." Mari protested.

"I know what you're going to say, Mari. But we can't negotiate with them if they are in jail, can we?" Mari made an excellent point, if negotiation was the goal, and not imprisonment. "As long as they're students at this school, there's no reason to view them as flight risks." Sayaka seemed to take this as an insult to her honor.

"We would never run away!"

"The school has decided to leave this matter in the hands of the student council." Mayumi's proclamation surprised Mari.

"What?"

"Ms. Mibu, I'd like to discuss our pending negotiations with your coalition, so would you mind coming with me?"

"Yes, that's fine with me." The two then walked away, with a small entourage of Course 1 and Course 2 students following them.

* * *

 **~That Afternoon~**

Tatsuya was walking down the promenade towards the station when he heard someone calling his name.

"Tatsuya!" It was Mayumi, waving at him to catch his attention.

"Chairwoman?"

"Tatsuya! Mari told me that you wanted to talk with her about...something...and I assumed that you would also like to talk to me?" She said this with a hopeful smile on her face.

"You assumed correct, Ms. Saegusa."

"Please, call me Mayumi."

"Very well, Mayumi."

"Thank you, Tatsuya. As for that chat, Mari is waiting for us at the Student Council office."

"We'd better be going, then."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Ah, Mayumi, you found him."

"It's nice to see you too, Ms. Watanabe." If looks could kill, Tatsuya would be dead by now from Mari's unwavering stare.

"So, Tatsuya. What is this about?"

"As I believe I made clear yesterday afternoon, 'Taurus Silver' is a military secret, and is to remain as such. However, having given you time to think, I would also like to remind you of the consequences of spreading classified information."

"So you're here to threaten us. That's nothing new." Mari's summarization was concise and to the point; Tatsuya had politely warned her to mind her own business when they had last spoke.

"Now, now, you two..." Mayumi said, trying to ease some of the tension in the room. "Tatsuya, I know that I speak for both Mari and myself when I say that we don't want to cause trouble."

"That's good to hear, Mayumi." Tatsuya was deciding how best to handle this. He couldn't leave at this point, as he was the one who called the meeting. He would have to give some information, in order to sate their appetites for knowledge. "I just wanted to let you know that in the past 24 hours, I have been approached by certain individuals with power that asked if my identity had been revealed, as they had detected breaches in security. Though I covered for you, I know that these individuals would not hesitate to protect Japanese secrets from intruders at any cost. _At. Any. Cost._ " Tatsuya stressed the last three words to make sure they received the message.

"Heh...heh..." Mayumi smiled sheepishly. "We won't do anything to get on the government's radar, right, Mari?" It was a good sign that she assumed he was talking about the government.

"Right. But under one condition: one day, you have to tell us everything." This was a demand to which Tatsuya consented.

"When the day comes that my life is no longer shrouded in shadow, you two will be the first to know." Tatsuya said this with a regretful smile on his face.

"Thank you, Tatsuya," said a smiling Mayumi.

"Okay, I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone..." Mari's sarcasm had returned in the aftermath of Tatsuya's promise. "Bye, Mayumi," she said as she left the room.

"M-Mari! Please don't say things like that!" Mayumi shouted after her.

"Mayumi, I was also wondering about the results of yesterday's incident." This was true; Tatsuya wanted to know what the Egalite students were after.

"Oh, right. Well, they're demanding equal treatment between Course 1 and 2 students. But they don't seem to have figured out how they want to change things." It was impressive how quickly Mayumi could collect herself. "If anything, I got the sense that they wanted the student council to come up with concrete plans. Well, then it turned into a heated back-and-forth. In the end, we agreed to hold an open forum tomorrow after school."

"That happened pretty fast," Tatsuya commented. "While I do understand the strategic merits of not giving your opponent ample time to prepare, by the same token, we'll have just as little time to strategize as well. Which members of the student council will be participating in this open forum?"

Mayumi only smiled and pointed to herself in response to Tatsuya's question.

"Don't tell me you're going to be the only one?"

"Since we're out of time, yes. If it's just me, they won't rip me to shreds over minor differences of opinion. And I'm more afraid of impression manipulation turning this into an emotional debate."

"Meaning that you'd never lose a logical argument?"

"Well, no, I wouldn't." Mayumi blushed as she said this. "And besides, if those kids have reasons strong enough to defeat me in a debate, then all we have to do is make that an integral part of running this school from now on." Mayumi had a point; it was a win-win scenario. Either way, First High would benefit.

"Mayumi..." Tatsuya began. "Please be careful. The people behind these students are far more dangerous than mere impression manipulation." This was almost an understatement.

"I know, Tatsuya. My family has come into contact with Blanche before, so I know what to expect."

"Mayumi, about the other thing..." She knew what he was talking about. "Please keep Mari from doing anything stupid. I would really hate myself if I was ordered to 'fix' a leak." Tatsuya's metaphor was clear, and it took Mayumi by surprise.

"You mean...if she...that you would have to...oh no... I'll certainly do everything I can, Tatsuya," she said. As she started to leave, she turned around and winked at Tatsuya. "Thank you, Tatsuya, for trusting me."

Everything Tatsuya had told her was true, even if some details had been altered. His aunt-no, his mother-would certainly order him to use Decomposition on Mayumi and Mari as a punishment for failing. He could only feel emotions that were exceptionally intense, and something told him that the look in Mayumi's eyes as he betrayed her would be exactly that. In times like this, he hated his family. After all, it had been his aunt's idea to split he and Miyuki up. It had been his aunt's idea to use a continuous cycle of Decomposition and Regrowth as a form of torture. And it had also been his aunt's idea for him to attend First High. _"One of these things is not like the others...or is it?"_ Tatsuya knew that time would tell everything, but he might have to launch a preliminary attack against his aunt. In that case, answers would have to wait.

* * *

 **~Sometime Earlier~**

Kamono Kinoe was lying in wait for Shiba Tatsuya. He readied a spell, but before it could activate, his target noticed him and used Cast Jamming, or something like it. He decided not to fight Tatsuya at that time, instead choosing to run. Suddenly he was laying on the ground in the forest, and it was nighttime. He slowly sat up and made his way back to the main campus, just in time to catch a taxi to the Blanche headquarters. Once there, he told his brother-the head of Blanche Japan-about the strange experience. His brother brought in a team of scientists to examine Kinoe, but he was as healthy as ever and the scientists could find no clue as to what happened.

The next day, Kinoe met with Sayaka to discuss Shiba Tatsuya. It had been his intention to recruit Tatsuya through Sayaka, but after their first attempt failed, his brother gave the order to abandon Tatsuya and move on with the plan. Kinoe gave Sayaka the signal, and she gathered up the coalition to raid the broadcasting room. He watched from the sidelines as Sayaka left with Saegusa Mayumi, and he heard later that there would be an open forum held the next day. _"That would make for a perfect distraction,"_ he thought as he prepared the explosives.


	6. Enrollment Part 6

**[Episode 6: Enrollment - Part 6]**

"Course 2 students! We are members of a coalition that seeks to eradicate discrimination within this school!"

"As the student council president announced this morning, tomorrow we will be holding an open forum regarding the treatment of Course 1 and 2 students."

"This will be our golden opportunity to improve conditions for ourselves, the Course 2 students! Please join in on the open forum!"

A veritable army of Course 2 students with multicolored wristbands were eagerly increasing awareness of the upcoming debate as Tatsuya walked down the hallway. Unlike most of the Course 2 students, who were either apathetic to the cause or interested in the opportunity of attaining a high social status within the school, Mizuki seemed to be struggling to find a polite way of declining an offer from a Course 2 upperclassman.

"Uh...umm... Well, I...um..." She had obviously been put on the spot by the man, and did not appreciate it. "Um...that's not what I..." Fortunately for her, Tatsuya came to her rescue.

"Mizuki?"

"Tatsuya!" She was relieved to see a friendly face amidst the crowd of promoters. Upon hearing Tatsuya's name, the man she was talking to turned to face him, revealing himself as Kamono Kinoe, the student and Blanche agent who had attempted to assault Tatsuya a couple days earlier. Tatsuya decided to commence formal introductions.

"I'm Shiba of the Disciplinary Committee." Tatsuya didn't wait for Kinoe's answer, instead deciding to help Mizuki. "In some cases, holding someone against their will for an inordinate amount of time is considered a nuisance, so please restrain yourself."

"Ms. Shibata..." Kinoe had taken Tatsuya's warning as his cue to leave. "Any time is fine with me, so if you change your mind, will you let me know?" He didn't wait for her answer. "Goodbye..."

"What did he want, Mizuki?" Tatsuya was suspicious of Kinoe's motives. At least he didn't remember their conversation from the other night.

"Um...well...he is also hyper-sensitive to psions, like me, and he asked me if I wanted to join a club of other students afflicted with this same hyper-sensitivity."

"I see." This didn't seem to be out of place, but Tatsuya was still wary.

"I kept turning him down, telling him that I had my hands full with my classes..."

Tatsuya had tuned out Mizuki, giving automatic "Oh"s and "I see"s whenever there was a break in the conversation. In his mind, he was reviewing everything that he knew about Kinoe. _"His mother's second husband's child, in other words, Kinoe's older step-brother is the leader of Blanche Japan. And this fellow - Tsukasa Hajime - isn't just a figurehead. He's a genuine leader who also runs their secret operations, not the least of which are illegal activities. Kinoe, his younger brother, enrolling at First High must have been Tsukasa's doing. That forum tomorrow...he must be plotting something..."_ It's amazing what people will tell you after they've been dissected multiple times and put back together using Regrowth.

* * *

 **~April 15th, 2095~**

It was the day of the debate. The auditorium where the matriculation ceremony was previously held was about three quarters full: most Course 2 students were present, but less than half of the Course 1 students were interested enough to participate. Among those in the auditorium were several of the students who had been recruited by Egalite; they thought they were being discreet, but Mari and the Disciplinary Committee knew all about them, thanks to Tatsuya. The Committee's officers were standing by to arrest them if anything were to happen.

"Compared to the Course 1 students, the treatment received by Course 2 students is both inferior and discriminatory in all ways!" This seemed to be the mantra of the coalition, yet no one could describe specifics. "Aren't you trying to cover up that fact, Chairwoman?" The Egalite student had made a grave mistake in assuming that Saegusa Mayumi was participatory in the discrimination.

"You just pointed out that it was "in all ways." To what are you specifically referring?" Mayumi knew every weak spot in her opponent's argument.

"The magic-oriented clubs, with their high ratio of Course 1 students, clearly receive the lion's share of the budget, compared to the non-magic-oriented clubs mainly populated by Course 2 students!" Because they had so little time to prepare, the Egalite student was hard-pressed for solid facts, so he resorted to generalities. "Isn't that proof that preferential treatment for Course 1 students is overlooked even when it comes to extracurricular activities?" Their argument seemed to be that Mayumi-and by extention, the student council-were hiding the fact that discrimination existed, which was blatantly untrue.

"Even non-magical clubs, such as the soccer team, which might I add has compiled an excellent record in national competition, have been allotted sums that compare favorably to those given to the magic-oriented clubs." Mayumi was on a roll, with no intention of stopping. "It's a misconception to say that the club budget allotments result from preferential treatment for the Course 1 students. But I won't deny that there is a discrimination among the students that is being pointed out." With this statement, Mayumi effectively shattered the opposition's flawed argument. "Blooms and Weeds."

Mayumi's use of the popular but forbidden slurs startled everyone, including Tatsuya.

"These are terms that have been banned by the school, the student council, and the Disciplinary Committee," she continued, "but unfortunately, I must admit that they are still in wide use. It's not just Course 1 students. Among the Course 2 students, there are those who despise themselves as Weeds, and are resigned as well as accepting of it. Yes, such a lamentable culture does exist here. The issue is this barrier to awareness!" It was hard to believe that Mayumi was writing and delivering this entire speech on-the-spot. _"Maybe she prepared it beforehand,"_ thought Tatsuya as Mayumi continued.

"As this school's student council president, this barrier to awareness is what I've wanted to somehow break down. But that's not something that should be resolved by creating new discriminatory practices. Every one of us, from Course 1 and Course 2, are students of this school. The time that we spend here as students of this school...for each of us, these three years are irreplaceable." Mayumi paused for a second, and in her absense, a thundering applause erupted from the entire audience, both Course 1 and 2 students alike.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you all what I hope for," she continued after the applause had died down. "This year, as a school we have made great advances toward the eradication of discrimination, beginning with the appointment of a Course 2 student to the Disciplinary Committee." She glanced over to Tatsuya as she said this and gave him a quick smile. "However, in the student council, there is still a system that discriminates against Course 1 and 2 students.

"Under the current system, all officers except for the president must be nominated from among the Course 1 students. This regulation can only be overhauled during the general assembly that is convened during the reelection of the student council president. When I step down, my final task as student council president will be to do away with this regulation at the general assembly. People's hearts cannot be changed by force. And since that's not the way to go, I plan to make as many improvements as I can in all other areas."

Mayumi received a standing ovation for her speech. She seemed overjoyed that the attendees shared her feelings toward the discriminatory regulations at the school. It would have been a deeply emotional and beautiful moment, had it not been interrupted by the rumbling of explosions outside the building and the sound of shattering glass. The Egalite coalition students tried to escape the building, but were quickly apprehended by the Disciplinary Committee. Suddenly, a tear gas grenade burst through one of the outer windows, leaving a thin trail of smoke in its wake. A light gray vapor soon filled the area around it as the grenade erupted.

"Don't breathe in the smoke!" Shouted Vice President Hattori. He raised his hand, and the vapor was sucked into a green sphere around the grenade. He then raised the sphere and threw it outside. _"Convergence of the gas and a Movement Spell, huh?"_ thought Tatsuya. _"To isolate the gas bomb, smoke and all, in that instant...very impressive!"_ Tatsuya's mental praise was cut short by armed, masked men who burst through the front doors. They barely had a second to react before a spell was cast. They reached for their throats, as if they were choking, and collapsed. _"An MID Field! Did she just flood the closed space inside the gas masks with nitrogen?"_ Tatsuya didn't have time to ask Mari, as it appeared she was receiving a report at the moment.

"Intruders? Over there, too?" She asked this just as another explosion rocked the building.

"Chairwoman! I'm going to check out the library, where that explosion happened!" Tatsuya was not asking for her permission.

"How do you know where that explosion happened, Tatsuya? Never mind, just - watch your back!"

"Right!"

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

National Magic Affiliated First High School was a battleground. Men dressed in black military fatigues and armed with automatic weapons had launched a major assault all across the campus. Some were using CADs, but most seemed to be unable to use magic. Leo and Morisaki were defending one of the main buildings, using only Leo's brute strength and Morisaki's magic when Tatsuya arrived. He used his taijitsu and ninjutsu skills to aid them, quickly dispatching the attackers.

"Tatsuya! What is going on?" Leo was equal parts surprised and grateful to see his friend.

"Leo!" Erika arrived, CADs in hand. "Hey...so the backup troops are already here, huh? Who are these guys?"

"Terrorists," replied Tatsuya.

"Terrorists?" Erika seemed almost glad. "Meaning we can kick their butts, no questions asked, right?"

"As long as they're not students, no need to hold back. I'll see you guys later."

"Hey! Shiba! Where are you going?" asked Morisaki.

"The library. The main force is already inside. Attacking us here was just a diversion."

"Oh...okay. Well, I'm coming with you. It's my duty as a Disciplinary Committee officer." Morisaki's announcement did not surprise Tatsuya.

"Let's get going, then."

They started running toward the library.

"Wait, I'll come too!" shouted Erika as she used a self-acceleration spell to catch up to Tatsuya and Morisaki.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

The library was deserted. Any students who had been studying were now taking part in the melee outside, and by the looks of things, First High would be victorious shortly.

"I never knew that Saijo was so adept at combat," said Morisaki.

"What, Leo? He's practically built like a big log. Of course he would enjoy slapping people around," Erika replied. Leo had left their group to assist the resisting First High students, and had seemed to enjoy the constant conflict.

"Quiet! We're not alone..." said Tatsuya as he activated Elemental Sight. "There's two at the foot of the stairs, one at the top of the stairs, and four in the Special Reading Room on the second floor, by my count."

"Incredible!" Exclaimed Erika. "With you around, Tatsuya, there's no point in them ambushing us. I definitely wouldn't want to oppose you in an actual battle."

"I wonder what they're doing in the Special Reading Room..." Morisaki pondered.

"My guess is that they're trying to steal the Magic University's classified materials." Morisaki had no time to reply, as Erika attacked the two combatants at the bottom of the stairs.

"Erika!" Tatsuya alerted her to the Egalite-affiliated student who had descended the stairs and was going to swing at Erika with a katana.

"Just leave this to me!" she shouted.

"Very well," said Tatsuya. The two Disciplinary Committee officers ran past Erika and bounded up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Mibu Sayaka was in the Special Reading Room with three Blanche operatives, having doubts about the purpose of their mission. "I thought our goal was to end discrimination by magic, so why would they need all this cutting-edge magic research? Is this really what I wanted to do?" Mibu didn't have time to answer her own question, as one of the agents let out a shout.

"All right, it opened!" The three men looked at the computer screen like they were admiring a tender piece of meat. "Now we can finally access this country's cutting-edge research materials! Let's copy over the data. Get me a recordable cube."

Sayaka heard something, and turned toward the door. There was a strange bluish light emanating from the seams, which vanished not a moment after she saw it. If she had turned around a moment later, she would've missed it and been caught by surprise.

"Th-The door!" It fell on its side, revealing Shiba Tatsuya and Morisaki Shun outside. Tatsuya had his CAD raised.

"Game over!" he shouted. The Blanche agents' hacking device and storage cube disintegrated before their eyes. "Your plot is now history."

"Shiba..." Sayaka wasn't sure what she should do. Should she defend her friends or her allies? The answer was clear when the three men drew automatic weapons from inside their jackets and aimed them at Tatsuya and Shun. "No! Stop!" she said, putting herself between the Blanche soldiers and the Disciplinary Committee officers. "You don't need to kill them!"

"Mibu," one said, "if you're not with us, then you're against us. Get out of the way, or die."

"Boss," another spoke up. "She's been to the headquarters. We can't allow her to tell them our location."

"No! I will not allow you to kill her!" Morisaki jumped in front of Mibu. "She is a student at National Magic University Affiliated First High School, and she is under the Disciplinary Committee's protection!"

Several things happened next.

A Blanche operative pulled the trigger and fired three rounds at Morisaki Shun. Two of the rounds hit Morisaki in the chest; the first punctured his abdomen, and the second buried itself in his heart.

The third round went straight through Morisaki's brain and broke through the back of his skull. Mibu didn't have time to react, and the bullet entered her mouth and exited from the rear of her throat. They both fell to the ground, motionless.

Tatsuya disintegrated the bullet with Decomposition the moment it touched his skin. He then proceeded to snap the necks of the three Blanche operatives, and then cast Regrowth on Sayaka, erasing any memories of being shot in the process.

She opened her eyes, and as she sat up, she saw herself surrounded by four dead bodies.

"What...happened... Oh no...Morisaki!" She crawled to his body and tried to revive him as Tatsuya knelt next to her. She was crying hysterically, and he tried to console her.

"Ms. Mibu, this is reality. A world where everyone is equal and receives the same treatment. No such place exists. If there was a world of equality, where talent and aptitude didn't matter, then Morisaki's sacrifice today would mean nothing. As it is, a young boy gave his life today for someone who despised him. Don't take that away from him or his family."

"This is all my fault..."

"Mibu! Don't say that. None of this-"

"Shiba, please do not try to comfort me by lying," she said, cutting Tatsuya off. "I know this is all my fault. If I had never allowed that man to persuade me, none of this would have ever happened."

"Ms. Mibu, you don't know that," Tatsuya countered. "For all we know, there could have been a hundred young women, just like you, waiting to be manipulated and take your place. It would have taken more than just your absense to stop Blanche."

"I could've done something to stop all of this, Shiba," she said. "And don't try to tell me that I was powerless. This is all my fault..." She cast a sideways glance at Shun's corpse, and tears formed in her eyes once again. "I can't stay here, Tatsuya." Her use of his first name showed how emotionally exhausted she was.

"Ms. Mibu, you can try to run. I will not stop you. But more Disciplinary Committee officers are on the way, and there are other students in this very building who will surely try to stop you."

"Let them! I don't care anymore..."

"Ms. Mibu, I suggest that you turn yourself in. If you don't care, then what have you got to lose?"

"Very well," she said with a sigh. "I'll turn myself in; it's what I deserve."

"Guys - I heard shots. Are you okay?" asked Erika, as she came running toward them. As she came closer, she saw Shun lying on the ground beyond Tatsuya and Sayaka, and she turned to the side and threw up. "I'm sorry," she said after she was done, "but I really wasn't expecting that." She had a mournful look in her eyes, but it quickly gave way to anger. "Tatsuya! What happened?! You're supposed to be this all-knowing ninja or something! How could you let Morisaki die?!" Obviously, Erika was the kind of person to express sadness through anger.

"I'm sorry, Erika. It took all I had to save Ms. Mibu, and besides, he was dead by the time he hit the floor. Again, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I could've done." Tatsuya said this knowing that nothing could be further from the truth. If he had killed the men instantly instead of monologuing, Shun would be alive. If he had used Decomposition on their weapons, Shun would be alive. If he had used Decomposition on the bullet itself as soon as it was fired, Shun would be alive. Frankly, he hadn't thought that these agents were mentally ready to kill children in pursuit of their goals. He was wrong. Literally "dead" wrong, as it were.

"It's fine, Tatsuya. I'm sorry for yelling," she said. "Do you want me to take her into custody while you give a report to that woman?"

"That woman?"

"Watanabe Mari."

"Oh, right. Okay, I think that's a good idea."

"Tatsuya?" She looked at him with the same mournful look. "You're cold, aren't you?" He didn't reply as walked down the hall. "I'm glad you are. It lets you be calm and collected in a time like this." Realizing something was wrong, Erika took off her jacket and laid it over Morisaki's face. "I'd give anything to be cold right now..."

* * *

 **~Meanwhile, at the Yotsuba Main House~**

"My lady, there has been a...disturbance...at First High."

"Don't be ambiguous with such a sensitive topic, you fool. Explain."

"It appears that armed forces from Blanche have attacked the school in an attempt to steal classified research."

"How is Miyuki?"

"She is the one who reported the incident. She said that she's fine, but that she saw Tatsuya heading to confront the intruders."

"I'm glad to hear that he's fine, as well."

"As soon as you can, make contact with Tatsuya. Discreetly, of course. Tell him that we need to speak as soon as possible."

"Yes, my lady."

"One more thing - send a note to Saegusa Kouichi. Ask him about his daughter's health. That's sure to spook him."

"Yes, my lady."

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

"Hey, Kamono." Two Disciplinary Committee officers had been dispatched to arrest Kamono Kinoe.

"What do you want, Tatsumi?"

"There's something that I want to ask you." It sounded more like a threat than a statement.

"M-Me?" Kinoe was a little too nervous.

"Yeah. My chairwoman has this sketchy kind of skill, see. By manipulating air currents, and combining multiple fragrances, she can whip up a truth serum without using any illegal drugs." Kinoe became even more and more nervous as Tatsumi went on. "And now we've got evidence! Evidence that it was you who was pulling the strings!" Kinoe knew that his time was up, so he ran.

"Kamono! Please come quietly with us," said Sawaki as he stepped in front of Kinoe, fists raised. Kinoe erroneously assumed that Sawaki would rely on magic to capture him, and therefore Kinoe decided to use a cast jamming ring made of antinite to slow him down. Sawaki elbowed Kinoe in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, and proceeded to arrest him.


	7. Enrollment Part 7

**Author's Note: Once again, thanks to all of you who have read my story! That being said, updates are going to be a bit slower than they were in the beginning from now on...no more chapters every day; sorry, but I do have a life. Thanks for reading (again)!**

 **[Episode 7: Enrollment - Part 7]**

The interoggation of Mibu Sayaka was underway. Erika, under Mari's orders, had taken Sayaka to the now-abandoned cafeteria and handcuffed her to a table, around which most of the student council now gathered. Sayaka, full of remorse and regret over the death of Morisaki Shun, was more than ready to cooperate with the Disciplinary Committee.

"For over a year, Captain Kamono has been exhorting the kendo team to bring about an end to discrimination by magic." Sayaka was telling the Disciplinary Committee everything, either out of guilt or out of a desire to have her punishment lessened. "The captain once lured me to the Blanche Japan office, as well. Apparently, his older brother is the head of the Japan branch... Not long after enrolling here, there was an incident in which I was discriminated against as a Course 2 student...I think that's why I listened so intently to what the captain had to say." Now Sayaka was trying to explain her motives, and Tatsuya wanted to hear them.

"What kind of incident was it?" he asked.

"Um..." She seemed a little embarassed by his question. "The kenjutsu team had caused a disturbance, recruiting, and I saw Ms. Watanabe's magic sword skills when she suppressed it, which took my breath away. So right away, I asked if she would take me on and advise me, but she just coldly brushed me off."

"What's that?" Mari seemed to be surprised by this accusation. "Mibu, is that true?"

"You said, _"You're no match for me, so it would be a waste of time. Go pick out an opponent you're worthy of."_ I thought it was probably because I was a Course 2 student. And the thought of that..."

"Hey," Mari interrupted. "Hey, hold up. I remember what happened that day. Listen, I never brushed you off, all right? If I remember correctly, this is what I told you that day. _"With my skills, I could never hope to be a match for you. It would be better if you practiced with someone worthy of your skills."_ Am I wrong?"

"Um..." Mari's rememberance made Sayaka unsure of her own recollection.

"Wait, Mari." Mayumi jumped into the conversation. "So you said that you were declining to practice with Ms. Mibu because she was stronger than you?"

"Well, of course, if magic were involved, my skills might be superior," Mari replied. "But Mibu has trained in pure swordsmanship - no way can I beat her with my sword."

"Then...it was...all a misunderstanding...on my part?" Mibu seemed hesitant to admit that she may have been wrong. "I don't believe this... I'm such an idiot..." Sayaka began to cry. "Just assuming...misunderstanding you like that...if I had done anything differently, Mr. Morisaki might still be alive..."

"There's no use dwelling on what might have been," Tatsuya interjected. "The question is, where are the people from Blanche at this moment?" This question startled the student council members.

"Tatsuya," said Mayumi, "don't tell me you're planning to take them on in battle?"

"That's not an appropriate choice of words." Tatsuya knew how to be intimidating, and this was certainly the time. "I'm going to demolish them."

"That's dangerous!" Mari said angrily. "You'd be overstepping your boundaries as a student!"

"I'm against it, too," Mayumi added. "We should leave non-school-related issues to the police."

"So," Tatsuya said with a dark smile, "will you be sending Ms. Mibu to Family Court for attempted robbery?"

"I see." Jumonji realized where Tatsuya was going with his argument. "Police intervention would be undesirable. That said, we can't just let this go. Still, Shiba, we're up against terrorists. Neither I, nor Saegusa, nor Watanabe would ask the students here to risk their lives."

"Of course you wouldn't." Tatsuya said this like they were having a perfectly ordinary discussion, not forming a plan on how to eliminate a den of terrorists. "From the start, I never intended to turn to the Student Council or the Extracurricular Activities Federation for help."

"Are you planning to go on your own?"

"Normally," he said, "that's what I'd prefer to do. But I suspect that this occasion may warrant unusual circumstances."

"Shiba," Sayaka spoke up. "If you're doing this for me, I'm begging you to please stop." She thought it was a nice sentiment, especially coming from Tatsuya, but she also didn't want him to get hurt. "I'll be fine. I know I should be punished for what I did. But if something were to happen to you because of me..."

"I'm not doing this for your sake, Ms. Mibu." His direct and abrupt tone put a stop to any further protests from Sayaka. "The zone in which I live has been targeted by terrorists. They have attacked the high school which I attend and have killed a fellow member of that school's Disciplinary Committee. In short, if anyone tries to ruin my daily life, I will eradicate them all with extreme prejudice. For me, that is my highest priority."

"Tatsuya, I understand that, if only somewhat," said Mayumi. "But would you please wait before...eradicating...the Blanche headquarters?"

"Mayumi, if we wait, then we will not-" Tatsuya was cut off by Jumonji.

"Shiba. Right now, your Student Council President is telling you to hold off for a little while. As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, and as a member of First High School, obey the Student Council President." Tatsuya looked at Jumonji for a second, then looked back at Mayumi and bowed.

"Excuse my disrespect. If I could ask, why do you want me to wait? It gives them time to prepare and puts us at a strategic disadvantage."

"Tatsuya," said Mayumi with a solemn look in her eyes, "you should pay your respects to our fallen friend before avenging him. There will be a memorial service tomorrow. Be there."

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

The auditorium was completely full. This was the first time a student at First High School died protecting the school, and every single student wanted to express their gratitude. A temporary memorial shrine had been erected onstage, and students with candles lined up to place them near it. Once everyone had passed by the shrine and were now in their seats, Mayumi took the stage.

"Students. I know you each have busy schedules and this is an impromptu meeting, so I will keep my remarks short. Yesterday, I stood on this very stage and described how I wanted to rid the school of this Bloom-Weed nonsense, right before we were attacked by a militant organization intent on stealing the Magic University's secrets. We ultimately drove off the attackers, but at a heavy price: one of our First Year Course 1 students, Morisaki Shun, died protecting Second Year Course 2 student Mibu Sayaka. His bravery and sacrifice may have ended the attack, but those who instigated the assault are still alive and may be planning even more dangerous activities. Therefore, as both your Student Council President and the eldest daughter of Saegusa Kouichi, I swear that those responsible for the death of any First High student-be they Course 1 or Course 2-will pay for their crimes. I will see to it personally. Thank you."

Mayumi stepped down from the stage and made her way to Tatsuya.

"Now then, shall we be going?"

"Mayumi, are you sure that you want to do this?" He had to give her another option. Whether or not she would take it, he couldn't tell.

"Well, I just promised the entire school that I would, so either way I don't have much of a choice."

* * *

 **~An Hour Later~**

Tatsuya and Mayumi were in a military-grade Humvee, heading toward the Blanche Japan headquarters. Tatsuya was driving, as he was the one who knew the location of their target. This confused Mayumi...she could not remember Sayaka ever revealing the exact location of the Blanche Japan headquarters, yet Tatsuya seemed to know exactly where they were.

"Tatsuya, how do you know where we are going? And...please don't lie to me."

"One of their agents tried to attack me earlier this week. During the scuffle, I placed a tracking device on him, and have been following his movements ever since." He wasn't technically lying; he just left out the part about heavy physical and psycological torture. And the fact that he used his special powers to accomplish all of this.

"Tatsuya!" Her sudden outburst surprised Tatsuya and made him swerve. "Why didn't you bring this to the Student Council earlier? Or the Disciplinary Committee, for that matter?"

"Because I wasn't one hundred percent sure that the agent was an attendee of First High."

"Wait...you're saying a student attacked you? Where is he now?"

"He's in custody."

"Who was it?"

"Let's focus on our objective, Mayumi." This was his way of 'suggesting' that she drop the subject.

"Why, Tatsuya? Is there something you don't want me to know?" She said this with a sly smile on her face.

"We are about to assault a terrorist organization on their home turf. Preoccupations could be a fatal mistake."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Mayumi sighed. "Still, Tatsuya, I'm going to uncover those secrets of yours...if it's the last thing I do!" Her playful attitude didn't stay repressed for long.

"Mayumi..." he said as he looked her in the eye, "I really wish you wouldn't go digging into my personal affairs any more. It really may be the last thing you do, and I would hate that."

"Tatsuya..." The serious look on his face gave her doubts about her intentions. "No promises," she said cheerfully, "but I understand what you're saying. I just..." She seemed to be collecting her thoughts. "I just want to know you, Tatsuya. Who you are. Not as..." she lowered her voice, even though no one was listening, "... _Silver_ , but as you. Shiba Tatsuya."

"I appreciate the thought, Mayumi." Noticing that they were approaching their destination, he decided to shift the topic of conversation. "Though let's save the rest of this conversation for after we've demolished Blanche."

"Oh...right. This was all your idea, Tatsuya. What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to storm the building from the front. You should go around back and cut off their escape route. We'll rendevouz in this room..." He took out a tablet and pointed to a specific room on the schematic of the building. "...where I suspect their leader to be."

"How do you know he's there, Tatsuya?"

"It's probably the most defendable spot in the entire complex."

"Oh, that makes sense." She took the next couple of minutes to look over the schematics before they arrived.

"We're here." They could see a gate in the distance, and it was getting closer with every second.

"Tatsuya...the gate...what are you going to do?" He didn't reply; he only raised his Silver Horn and cast a spell. Mayumi didn't see the lock and hinges fall off of the gate. "Tatsuya...it's getting closer!" She raised her own CAD, prepared to cast her own spell on the gate.

"Mayumi, relax," said Tatsuya as he barreled toward the gate. As they hit it, the gate was thrown through the air and the Humvee raced toward the main building, coming to a stop in front of a large door.

"Okay, Tatsuya...here we go!" Mayumi activated a self-acceleration spell and dashed to the back of the compound. Tatsuya kicked in the door and began his assault.

Tatsuya's grand enterance was dulled by the fact that no one was seemingly there. Using Elemental Sight, he quickly discovered that about half of the enemy's forces were gathered in a large room up ahead. He raised the Silver Horn in his right hand, and cast Decomposition on their weapons. With Elemental Sight he could easily see the stunned reactions from the terrorists. He burst through the door, with his sudden appearance startling his targets. They quickly recovered, however, and rushed at him head-on. He made his was swiftly through them, defeating each with his taijitsu and ninjutsu skills as he continued on to the next room.

Mayumi, meanwhile, was launching her own offensive against the terrorists from the rear of the facility. The black-clad soldiers came at her in waves, but she easily defeated them. She was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Saegusa family, one of the most prominent of the Ten Master Clans. It was expected of her to be above proficient in magic. She steadily advanced down a hallway toward Tatsuya and the rendevouz point, gaining victory over ever terrorist she encountered.

Tatsuya entered another room. He knew it was full of Blanche soldiers, but it was so dark he couldn't see them...at least, not without Elemental Sight. Suddenly, several windows opened, flooding the room with late-afternoon sunlight. The sudden change in exposure caused Tatsuya to blink a couple times while he adjusted. Then he noticed the man with the purple hair.

"Welcome! So nice to meet you, Shiba Tatsuya!" This man was clearly into theatrical performances.

"Are you the leader of Blanche?" Tatsuya, on the other hand, cut straight to the point.

"Ah, that was rude of me. I'm the leader of Blanche Japan - Tsukasa Hajime." So this was Kamono Kinoe's older half-brother.

"I see," said Tatsuya as he raised his CAD. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and recommend that you surrender." Using Elemental Sight, Tatsuya noticed something odd: it appeared that Mayumi was trying to listen in on their conversation through the wall in the back of the room. She was trying to use oscillation magic to enhance the sound waves, and it appeared that she was succeeding. He elected to continue with his current course, and hope that she didn't do anything rash. "All of you, put down your weapons and put your hands behind your heads." At this, Tsukasa Hajime laughed.

"If you really think that magic is such an absolute power, you're sadly mistaken!" He raised his hand-not to cast magic, but as a signal for his soldiers-and the Blanche agents raised their rifles and pointed them at Tatsuya. "Shiba Tatsuya, become one of us! Your ability to heal a fatal wound instantly...I'm keenly interested in that technique."

"So using Ms. Mibu to make contact with me, and having your brother assault me... That was what you were after?"

"Nothing I like more than an intelligent child," Hajime said. "But the fact that you were aware of all that, yet still showed up here, proves that you're a child after all." Using his dramatic flare again, Hajime threw his glasses up in the air. "Shiba Tatsuya! You will join us as our comrade!" Circles of pink light emanated from Hajime's eyes, and he smiled victoriously.

"Consciousness Interference Type Magic, Evil Eye," said Tatsuya, startling Hajime. "Or so you call it, but in reality, the flicker of those light signals with their hypnotic pattern is projected onto your subject's retinas. It's a Light-wave Oscillation Magic spell. It's hypnosis, nothing more. Is that what you used to replace Ms. Mibu's memories, too? Your brother mentioned that her memories had been intensified by magic to get her to join Blanche."

"You...why...?"

"How pathetic is that?" Tatsuya said, gloating. "You tried to draw my attention to your right hand by removing your glasses, thereby diverting my gaze from your left hand, controlling the CAD. As if a cheap trick like that would work on me! As long as I can see the Activation Sequence, all I have to do is delete a part of it to render your tacky spell into mere signals of light."

"How could you...wasn't your magic counterattack cast-jamming, you bastard? And what was that you said about Kinoe?"

"Stooping to personal abuse, now?" Tatsuya said as he raised his Silver Horn. "Your pretensions to greatness have been stripped away, I see!"

"Fire...fire!" This last command was directed at the Blanche soldiers who were previously watching the confrontation. They aimed their rifles at Tatsuya, but before they could shoot a single bullet, their rifles fell apart in their hands. "What is going on?!" Tsukasa Hajime was too scared to fight Tatsuya, so he took the coward's route and ran. Tatsuya followed; none of the terrorists in the room put up a fight, as they had a healthy fear of Tatsuya. Eventually one tried to ambush him from behind, but was distracted by a large explosion of ice. The soldiers turned and looked toward the back of the room, where Saegusa Mayumi stood in the middle of a gaping hole in the wall. Those who had been considering a resistance were silenced, and the two magicians walked down the hall in pursuit of Tsukasa Hajime.

"Tatsuya, do you think they'll run away?"

"I'd expect nothing less of terrorists," he replied. "I'll take care of it." He silently raised the Silver Horn in his right hand and, looking back at those gathered in the room, cast Decomposition. The men froze in place, unable to move.

"Listen up!" he said, addressing his victims. "I have just destroyed the nerves leading to your arms, legs, and neck. You won't be able to move until I heal you, so don't even bother trying to escape. Once you are under arrest, your freedom of movement will be returned to you. Do you understand everything I have told you?" He looked around the room at the silent men. "I'll take your silence as a yes."

"Tatsuya, what spell could possibly exist that has such brutal effects?" Mayumi was equal parts mortified and awestruck.

"It's a spell that I was born with. I can't tell you any more than that." His curt reply reminded her of the tenuous circumstances surrounding his identity.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise-"

"Wait. There's another squad of terrorists preparing an ambush in the next room."

"Oh! Well, what should we do?" Tatsuya did not reply. Instead, he raised his Silver Horn once again, and cast a spell.

"Okay, let's go." They walked to the room and opened the door, each with their CAD in hand and ready to cast. They had caught up to Tsukasa Hajime, who, though initially shocked at his mens' lack of weapons, appeared to be gloating as he raised his hand and pulled his sleeve back, revealing a wristband made out of antinite, the magic-blocking mineral. He smiled deviously as he used Cast Jamming to give his troops the edge...or so he thought. Following his lead, the soldiers each activated their own cast jamming accessories, surrounding Tatsuya and Mayumi in magic-suppressing psion waves.

"How do you like that, Magicians? You can't beat cast jamming!" Tatsuya used this opportunity to confirm something which Kinoe had revealed during the torture session.

"That much antinite...your patron is the pro-independence breakaway regime, Ukraine-Belarus, and your sponsor, the Great Asian Alliance, then?" The revelation of Tatsuya's advanced knowledge and understanding of the political situation visibly unsettled Hajime.

"Kill them!" The soldiers didn't get the chance, however, as what appeared to be a beam of light shot out of Tatsuya's CAD and through the appendages of the terrorists, halting any attempted murder.

"How can you do that? How can you use magic under cast-jamming?" More and more Hajime realised how much he had underestimated his opponent. He made a move for the door behind him, but it exploded in a shower of ice before he could reach the handle. Mayumi stepped forward with authority.

"Tsukasa Hajime! As a member of the Saegusa family, and as the Student Council President of National Magic University Affiliated First High School, I am placing you under arrest for the operation of an illegal military organization on Japanese soil, and for the attack on First High School which resulted in the death of Morisaki Shun. Please remove any and all CADs and place your hands behind your head. The police will be here shortly."

* * *

 **~Hours Later~**

It was now nighttime, and the aformentioned police were just wrapping up their investigation. Tatsuya used Regrowth on the Blanche soldiers, healing them of their nerve damage, and they were promptly placed under arrest. He was leaning against a wall, watching the police cars leave, when a cloaked figure approached him.

"Hello, Tatsuya. Did I catch you at a bad time?" This startled Tatsuya, who turned to see his aunt-slash-adoptive mother, Yotsuba Maya.

"Excuse me, okaa-sama. You disguised your presence very well. This may be a bad time, as Saegusa Mayumi will come looking for me any second."

"Well, when you wouldn't return any of my messages, the only thing I could do was come and talk to you in person." Maya pouted innocently, but it didn't fool Tatsuya.

"Forgive me, okaa-sama. I have not had a chance to check my phone recently."

"You went home last night, didn't you?"

"Yes, okaa-sama..."

"And didn't your computer tell you that I had called?"

"Actually," he began, but Maya interrupted.

"Yes, Tatsuya, it did. You know how I know that? Because I stopped by your house on my way here. And I saw that you had viewed my message but declined to reply. Would you care to explain this?" Maya's attitude has shifted greatly.

"Okaa-sama, I was too busy making preparations to return your call. Please forgive me."

"I accept your apology," Maya said with a suspicious smile on her face. "So, Tatsuya, if you were so busy preparing, does that mean you accounted for every single detail when planning this assault?" She obviously didn't believe his excuse, and was trying to catch him in his own lie.

"I did, okaa-sama." It was the only answer he could give, seeing as anything less would not have been fit for a Yotsuba.

"Does that include Tsukasa Hajime having knowledge of your ability to use magic through cast jamming?"

"Oh..." He hadn't considered that. He couldn't count on Hajime to keep a secret, and when the government interrogated him, they would come for Tatsuya. Japan couldn't allow anyone to be able to override cast jamming.

"'Oh' is right, Tatsuya. Your carelessness may have cost you some of your much-beloved privacy."

"I beg your pardon, okaa-sama?"

"Your punishment, Tatsuya, is this: you must do nothing to prevent the Japanese government from learning about that secret. Instead, you must actively avoid their agents as they pursue you." Maya could be rather cruel when she desired; by ordering Tatsuya to do nothing, he could not stop Tsukasa Hajime from revealing one of his secrets, and therefore he could not stop the government of learning about his existence. If he was lucky, Major Kazama and the 101st would intercept any rumors before they spread, but if the 101st was unable to do so, some government agent might try to hunt Tatsuya down.

"But okaa-sama...what about-"

"You must also do everything in your power," she continued, "to conceal your connections to both myself and FLT. And Tatsuya, I mean everything."

"Yes, okaa-sama."

"Tatsuya!" Tatsuya looked over his shoulder and saw Mayumi running toward him. When he looked back, Yotsuba Maya had vanished. "Tatsuya! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"I am sorry to have caused you grief, Mayumi."

"It's fine, Tatsuya. Who were you talking to just now?"

"I'm afraid that is classified information."

"Oh, well in that case, I'll ask something else..." Mayumi said, with a twinkle in her eye. "So tell me: how were you able to cast magic back there? You know, when Tsukasa was using cast jamming?"

"Mayumi..."

"I know, I know, it's probably classified too. But can you give me a hint?"

"When a submarine launches a torpedo, the waves in the ocean do not affect the torpedo because of its hydrodynamic design," he said after a moment of thought. "The torpedo carries its payload to the target, where the payload is released."

"Ah, so you're saying that beam of light was-"

"-Theoretically-" he interjected.

"Yes, theoretically, it was a psion "torpedo" that carried your spell to its targets?" She understood the metaphor perfectly.

"I'm sure that such an application of magic is possible," he replied, careful to avoid any direct confirmation. "Though really, we should be returning to First High. It is getting late, after all."

"Sure, Tatsuya."

* * *

 **~A Couple Days Later~**

Tatsuya was visiting Mibu Sayaka in the hospital. Nothing was wrong with her; the doctors just wanted to make sure there were no lasting effects from the hypnosis.

"You know how I totally had the wrong idea about Ms. Watanabe? To make sure that none of my other memories are messed up like that, they said I need to stay in the hospital a little longer," Sayaka explained.

"Yes; I head Captain Kamono - or should I say, Captain Tsukasa - of the kendo team has been hospitalized for that same reason."

"He is?" Apparently Sayaka was unaware of this.

"But in spite of that, criminal charges are being brought up against him. He was involved in the death of a student, after all, and a member of the Morisaki family no less," Tatsuya said. "Otherwise, it looks like none of the students at our school will be reprimanded for their roles in this incident."

"Is that right?" Tatsuya couldn't figure out why Sayaka didn't already know this, and he didn't want to spend any time or energy finding out.

"Yes. So they won't be coming after you for guiding those people, either," Tatsuya explained. "Since the school's accountability would come under scrutiny, they seem to want to keep it under wraps." Sayaka's face darkened distinctly at Tatsuya's reminder of her regrettable role in Morisaki Shun's death. Seeing this, he changed the subject. "Anyway...when do you think you'll be discharged?"

"Um, I think around May..."

"I see. Then please let me know when you have the exact date. I'll be coming around again to celebrate your discharge." At this, Sayaka's spirits lightened.

"You're being considerate, right? Thanks. When I know what day I'll be leaving the hospital, I'll call you, okay?"

* * *

 **~May 10th, 2095~**

Tatsuya, Mayumi, and Mari walked into the hospital. They were there to visit Sayaka on the day of her release, but were surprised to see that Kirihara-the kenjutsu team member from the incident in April-had beaten them there and appeared to be in the middle of a deep conversation with Sayaka.

"Isn't that Kirihara?" Mayumi asked.

"They look quite intimate, don't they?" Mari remarked.

"Apparently, Kirihara's been coming every day!" This last comment belonged to Erika, who had somehow snuck up behind the threesome and was now offering her own input.

"Really? Who knew," Tatsuya replied, ignoring Erika's sudden appearance.

"Darn, there's just no surprising you, is there?" Even though she was referring to her attempted jumpscare, Tatsuya took it to mean something else.

"No, I was surprised. Who knew that Kirihara was so diligent..."

"Tatsuya, I think you may have misinterpreted Ms. Chiba's remark," said Mayumi with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah! Not that part! Everything you do and say is so twisted...no wonder Saya dumped you!"

"Erika," Mari interrupted, "did you say "Saya"? Are you talking about Ms. Mibu?"

"Tatsuya, why do you allow that woman to speak for you? But anyway, of course that's who." Erika's extremely unpolite comment was directed at Watanabe Mari.

"So you've gotten really chummy, then," said Tatsuya, trying to move past the two swordswomens' differences. To further that point, he tried to catch Sayaka's attention. "Ms. Mibu!"

"Shiba! And Erika and Ms. Saegusa and Ms. Watanabe!" As the group made their way toward Sayaka, a man who had heard Tatsuya's name turned around and watched him, seemingly to try to figure out what kind of person Tatsuya was. He decided to approach Tatsuya and find out through conversation.

"Are you Shiba?" Tatsuya turned and gave a slight bow as confirmation. "My name is Mibu Yuzo. I'm Sayaka's father. Do you have a minute?"

"Yes, sir." The two stepped away for a more private discussion.

"I'm very grateful to you, Shiba."

"For what, Mr. Mibu?"

"I used to work with Kazama, see..." This put Tatsuya on high alert.

"You know Major Kazama?"

"I'm already retired myself," Mr. Mibu replied, "but he's an old comrade-in-arms who once shared a barracks with me. As for what I've heard from Kazama, I won't say a word to anyone, so rest assured. I just wanted to tell you that I know that you're the one who saved my daughter."

"I really don't know what you mean."

"Major Kazama allowed me to view a secure copy of a security camera recording from inside the Special Reading Room. It wasn't long, not more than a few frames, but I did see my daughter get shot in the head. The blood was there to prove it. But then, you aimed your CAD at her, and she was better. I don't know what you did, Shiba Tatsuya, but thank you." With this, Mr. Mibu turned and walked away.

"Hey, Shiba!" Sayaka saw that he was done and walking back toward the group. "What were you talking about with my dad?"

"The fact that someone who once looked after me is a close friend of your father's," Tatsuya replied. "That's what we were discussing."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. It certainly is a small world, isn't it?" As Erika mindlessly dribbled on, mocking Kirihara for his romance with Sayaka, Mayumi was quietly wondering about to whom Tatsuya was referring. She knew that Mr. Mibu used to be a military man, but that he was now enjoying his retirement. Who could he and Tatsuya have in common? Someone from the military, perhaps? Her thoughts were disrupted by a newcomer to the situation.

"Oh, Tatsuya-sama, I didn't know you'd be here. I was just looking for Ms. Saegusa..." Miyuki's worst fears had come true: she was having a face-to-face confrontation with her brother in front of the most important people in the school; Tatsuya, for once, looked uncomfortable.

"Oh! Miyuki!" Mayumi's playfully evil side was most pleased at the Shiba siblings' reactions. "Why don't you join Tatsuya and I for lunch!"

"Ms. Saegusa..."

"Really, Miyuki, I insist! We need to talk about the Nine Schools Competition, after all."

"Chairwoman! There's time later to do that..." realising her mistake, Miyuki's voice dropped toward the end of the sentence.

"Now, now, Miyuki, that's not the correct attitude to have when talking to the Chairwoman of the Student Council," said Tatsuya, who had apparently regained his senses.

"Yes! Let's go!" And with that, the students' regular lives had restarted and were under way. Though, at First High School, normalcy was a luxury that most of them couldn't afford.

* * *

 **~May 16th, 2095 - Third High School~**

"Good work, Mr. Ichijou."

"Oh, Ms. Shields. I didn't see you there."

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

"A terrorist invasion on First High, huh?"

"Though the incident itself has already been resolved, apparently. Seems like there were casualties as well..."

"Worried about our rivals, Ms. Shields?"

"They're your rivals, Mr. Ichijou. I'm new here, after all. But I'd bet that the terrorists sustained the injuries, not the First High students. The school is home to two direct descendants of the Ten Master Clans, and a handful of students from the Hundred Families."

"But, no matter how powerful those First High students may be, you - Angelina Kudou Shields - have no peer."

"Thanks, Mr. Ichijou. By the way, feel free to call me Lina."


	8. NSC Part 1

**[Episode 8: Nine Schools Competition - Part 1]**

"Oh, so they're making special arrangements for _her_ , are they?"

"Yes, my lady. It would appear that the Patriarch does have some influence left."

"He's a relic of a dying breed. Soon whatever miniscule power he has will be stamped out."

"By way of Ms. Miyuki, my lady?"

"No...well, she might be able to handle him in a one-on-one battle if the odds were in her favor, but I'm not talking about that. Miyuki has no talent for manipulation at all. No, Tatsuya will be the one to strip Retsu's power away from him."

"Surely you aren't proposing that defect to lead the Ten Master Clans, and the majority of Japanese magic society, my lady?"

"You would be wise to watch your tone with me, Aoki. You should be well aware that Tatsuya is no defect. He's probably the most powerful magician in the country, maybe even the world."

"As you said, my lady, I am aware of that, but why order everyone to treat him as a defect if that does not reflect your own opinion?"

"That's not for you to know, Aoki. Now bring me some tea, and set up a secure connection with our agents in the Saegusa household. I want to see Kouichi's reaction to this news."

"Yes, my lady."

* * *

 **~June 2095 - Two Months after the Blanche Incident~**

Angelina Kudou Shields was by no means a fool. Yet her current predicament perplexed even her. She had come to Japan as a roving transfer student in the beginning of the 2095 school year, with her first educational establishment being Third High because of the Crimson Prince and his reputation.

After the defeat of the Great Asian Alliance at Okinawa, the entire world was on high alert. Out of nowhere, a Strategic-class magician had destroyed an entire fleet of invading ships with a spell that outclasses a nuclear bomb, and from what Angelina (Lina for short) had learned during her time in Japan, it seemed that the same magician had anihilated the ground troops as well. The United States' elite magic battalion, STARS, had made an educated guess and assumed that this magician was Crimson Prince of the Ichijou family, Ichijou Masaki, who already had his fair share of combat experience from when the New Soviet Union invaded Sado; STARS seemed to ignore the fact that the invasions of Okinawa and Sado occured almost simultaneously, and that it would have been difficult for Ichijou to be in two places at once.

With the Crimson Prince's enrollment at the combat-focused Third High School, STARS had decided it was time for threat assessment, and sent Angie Sirius to investigate. Angie Sirius, besides being the alternate identity for Angelina Kudou Shields, was also the leader and most powerful member of STARS, with a vast amount of magic processing power at her disposal and being a Strategic-class magician herself. Her mission at Third High was to uncover the identity of the Okinawa magician, presumed to be Ichijou Masaki, and judge whether he was a threat to the United States or not. With this in mind, Lina had decided to get close to Ichijou, and see if he would talk to his friends. Being the grandniece of the Patriarch of the Ten Master Clans didn't hurt in this regard.

But Ichijou didn't open up to her about any of his abilities. At least, not the ones that were already public. Lina tried becoming even closer friends, and though she was sure that she was his closest confidant, he never said anything about Sado or Okinawa. And this was Lina's predicament: over the past months, she spent all of her time growing closer to a boy who, if the results of her investigation were undesirable, STARS might order her to kill; she had broken the number one rule of espionage, and had grown to be friends with her target.

 _"I don't think that he was at Okinawa,"_ she thought to herself. _"But there's only one thing I can do to convince STARS of that. And if that means creating a monster for them to fight...well, at least I won't have to kill my friend. I'm going to have to find a scapegoat."_

* * *

 **~July 13th, 2095 - Three Months after the Blanche Incident~**

The Course 2 students were competing in a game of soccer. The essense of the game had changed over the last eighty years: instead of an open-air field, the students now competed in an enclosed plexiglass box, with turf along the bottom. Skilled players were able to bounce the soccer ball off of the walls in a way reminiscent of pool in order to get the ball to its destination, which is exactly what Leo and Tatsuya were planning.

"Come on, move! Get out of my way!" The field was abuzz with energy, both from the players and the spectators. Class 1-E was currently winning 8-2 versus Class 1-F, with the victory being awarded to the first team to reach nine points. "Tatsuya!" Leo shouted as he sent the ball flying down the field.

Tatsuya stopped the ball with his heel, sending it flying towards the clear roof of the field. It landed right in front of him, and he steadied it with his foot. A 1F student rushed him, but with some fancy footwork, Tatsuya was in prime position to send the ball further down the field.

"Yoshida!" he shouted as he expertly bounced the ball off of the side barrier, forwarding it directly to Yoshida Mikihiko. Yoshida, a tall, slender, dark-haired boy of Tatsuya's same age and class, received the ball with similar skill and sent it flying into the goal before the goalie could react.

"Game over!" the referree shouted. "9-2, Class E wins!"

"That guy rocks, huh?" Leo said to Tatsuya as the team collected themselves.

"Yeah," Tatsuya agreed. "He gets a good read on the ball, and he's more agile than he looks."

As Yoshida sat down, Tatsuya and Leo approached him. "Nice play!" Tatsuya said, hoping to break the ice.

"Hey, way to go, Yoshida!" Leo chimed in.

"Right back atcha," Yoshida replied.

"Sorry if this sounds offensive," Leo began, "but that was totally unexpected."

"Mikihiko," Yoshida said. "I don't like being called by my last name. Call me by my first name, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Leo agreed. "Then call me Leo!"

"Do you mind if I call you Mikihiko, too?" asked Tatsuya, ever polite. "Needless to say, you can call me Tatsuya."

"Okay, Tatsuya," said Mikihiko. "Actually, the thing is, I've been wanting to talk to you for a while."

"What a coincidence," Tatsuya said, though Leo felt in his gut that it was anything but a coincidence. "Actually, same here."

"You know what, I'm starting to feel left out..." Leo complained.

"You're just imagining things, Leo," reassured Mikihiko. "I've been wanting to talk to you, too. After all, it's not everyday that I meet people who have the stomach to put up with that Erika."

"I think I may have missed something," Leo muttered to himself.

"Mikihiko, do you know Erika from before?" Tatsuya asked, in an effort to clear up Leo's confusion.

"Uh, well..." came the response, before it was interrupted.

"More or less," Erika said as she approached the group, along with Mizuki. "I guess Miki and I are what you call childhood friends? Although for the last six months or so, he's been avoiding me."

"Is that right?"

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki were having their now-regular lunch with the Student Council. Miyuki, as a member of the Council herself, was always invited to eat lunch with them, but since that first lunch some months ago, Mayumi had made it clear that Tatsuya was more than welcome to eat with them as well.

"For the nine Magic University Affiliated High Schools around the country," Mayumi was saying, "the Nine Schools Competition is a high-profile event. The essay contest held in the fall is research-oriented, while during the Nine Schools Competition held in the summer, each school goes head-to-head in sports-type magic contests. Of course, since the school's honor is on the line, the contestants are chosen based on merit."

"So the Student Council is taking the lead preparing for it, right?" Miyuki asked.

"Yes," Mayumi replied. "As far as selecting our athletes, thanks to Jumonji's help, we've managed to finalize our roster, but the issue is choosing engineers. I mean the technical staff."

"You're still short on engineers, then?" Mari asked. She had been silent for most of the conversation, preferring not to make eye contact with Tatsuya.

"Yes," Mayumi again replied. "The third year class is particularly skewed towards practical skills. As for second years, we do have A-chan and Isori...but..."

"Isori Kei, huh?" Mari said. "I'd say he's more of a pure theorist, and not too adept at fine-tuning, right?"

"If only you could find a way to fine-tune at least your own CAD, Mari, my job would be so much easier..." Mayumi said with a sigh. "But, until then, we have Tatsuya. Right, Tatsuya?" Mayumi's face was gleaming with delight over this prospect. Whether it was from having Tatsuya on the staff or having Taurus Silver on the staff, no one could tell.

"Oh, right, I completely forgot about..." Mari began, before catching herself thanks to Tatsuya's sharp gaze. "...about the fact that we have Tatsuya, of course."

"Right, isn't Shiba the one who adjusts Miyuki's CAD?" Nakajo added.

"Should I take this as the Student Council's request that I partake in the Nine Schools Competition in the role of student engineer?" Tatsuya asked.

"Indeed, Tatsuya," Mayumi replied. "Your...unparalleled skills...in this area will make you a valuable asset, if not the most valuable asset, to our team." Mayumi's inflection made it precisely clear that she was referring to Tatsuya's secret identity as a master magic engineer. This made Miyuki a little cautious, since no one was supposed to know about that.

"If I'm not mistaken," Tatsuya began, "a first year has never been elected to the technical staff."

"There has to be a first time for everything!" Mayumi said, countering Tatsuya's argument perfectly. It was like she had thought this out in advance.

"Precedents were made to be overturned." Mari added. The thought of Tatsuya's secret identity helping the school seemed to cheer her up a little bit.

"You two are progressive thinkers," Tatsuya responded, "so you might see it that way, but for a first year, and a Course 2 student to boot... And on top of that, I've been standing out in a bad way, in more ways than one."

"Well..." Mayumi was at a loss.

"Trust between engineer and user is a crucial part of CAD fine-tuning," Tatsuya continued, his freedom and privacy almost within reach. "Appointing someone who might bring on a backlash from the athletes doesn't sound like a good idea."

The student council sat there for a minute, until Miyuki spoke up.

"I'd like my brother to fine-tune my CAD for the Nine Schools Competition as well," Miyuki said with a smirk. She then made the sweetest, most innocent expression she could, and said, "Am I asking too much?" Only her eyes revealed how much she was secretly enjoying this moment.

Over the past two months, since the Blanche incident, in fact, Tatsuya and Miyuki's relationship had grown. Miyuki no longer felt awkward around her own brother, and Tatsuya occasionally took the liberty to make a joke at her expense, but only occasionally. In recent times, their relationship had reached a point of kind-spirited sibling rivalry, which is why Miyuki took a little too much pleasure in forcing her brother to partake in the Nine Schools Competition.

"That's right!" Mayumi said. "Trust between engineer and user is a crucial part of CAD fine-tuning, and having an engineer you can trust is a lot of moral support," Mayumi said, turning Tatsuya's argument back on him. "Right, Miyuki?"

"Hai!" Miyuki agreed eagerly.

"All right, then," Mayumi said, concluding whatever discussion was left. "There's going to be a prep session after school, so let's talk it over then."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya was fiddling with his Silver Horns: testing the magazine release system, checking the magazine capacity, and feeling the new holster he had with him. Azusa noticed, and her interest was immediately piqued.

"I see you've brought the Silver Horn with you today!" She could not have been more excited.

"Yes," Tatsuya replied, cool as ever. "I just got a new holster for it, so I thought I'd break it in."

"What? Would you mind showing it to me?" Tatsuya was at first taken aback by Azusa's onslaught, but he eventually consented.

"That's fine with me," he said, handing her the dual shoulder holster housing two Silver Horns. "Go ahead."

"It's a geniune Silver model!" Azusa exclaimed. This startled absolutely no one in the room; Mayumi, Mari, and Miyuki were even less surprised that Taurus Silver would have a genuine Silver Horn. "I'm loving the way it's cut," Azusa continued. "This exquisite curve, conducive to quick-drawing! A nod to usability that never gets lost in cutting-edge technology!" Azusa's examination of the Silver Horn was quickly downspiraling... "Oh, how I adore you, Lord Silver...!" This last comment made Miyuki, who was taking a test at one of the computers, choke for a second as she tried to suppress involuntary laughter, which in turn caused her to miss a question. Mayumi looked at Tatsuya and giggled, while Mari merely shook her head. "It's so unusual for Miyuki to miss..." Azusa commented, Miyuki's error breaking her out of her trance.

"Must be a coincidence," Tatsuya said, eliciting another giggle from Mayumi.

"I wonder what kind of person Taurus Silver is?" Azusa pondered as Tatsuya put his new holster back on.

"Does he intrigue you?" Tatsuya asked.

"For sure he intrigues me!" Azusa said. "I mean, it's that Taurus Silver! Starting with making Loop Casting a reality, he's an engineering genius said to have catapulted specialized CAD software forward by at least ten years!"

"I see I'm not well-informed," Tatsuya said in response. "Who knew that he was held in such high regard..."

 _"All the more reason..."_ Mayumi uttered under her breath.

"Did you say something?"

"No!"

"Hey, hey, Shiba - what kind of person do you think Taurus Silver is?" This abrupt question of A-chan's didn't phase Tatsuya, but it prompted Mayumi to let out yet another giggle, which was soon stifled in response to Tatsuya's unforgiving glare.

"Let's see," he began. "He might actually be a Japanese youth like you or me." This caused all three of the girls who knew about Taurus Silver to choke, but not on laughter. They were worried that Tatsuya was about to spill what they assumed to be his most private secret to one of the most talkative girls in the school; an unfounded worry, as it turned out, but a worry nonetheless.

"Japanese, did you say?"

"Since he works exclusively for Four Leaves Technology, a Japanese firm," Tatsuya explained. Little did they know that 'Four Leaves' was an adaptation of the Yotsuba name; or maybe they did know, and just wrote it off as a coincidence. Either way, it was an obscure fact that Four Leaves Technology was owned by the Yotsuba, and was currently controlled by Tatsuya's father, Shiba Tatsurou.

"By the way, A-chan..." Mayumi said, deciding to change the subject away from the sensitive topic of Taurus Silver, given Tatsuya's previous warnings about that very subject.

"Yes?"

"Weren't you supposed to finish your assignment during the lunch break?"

"Chairwoman!"

"I'll help you out just a little, all right?" Tatsuya's eyes met Mayumi's as she said this, and he subtly conveyed his appreciation.

"For real?"

"So what kind of assignment is this, exactly?" Now that Mayumi had agreed to help, she needed to know what she had gotten herself into.

"Actually, it's a report on the Three Major Puzzles of weight-based Magic," Azusa said as she produced a tablet which contained her electronic report. "I understand the parts about actualizing a Gravity Control Type Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor, and actualizing a Quasi-Perpetual Motion Machine based on infinite inertial expansion, but I can't figure out how to explain why General-Purpose Flying Spells can't be actualized.

"In order to use magic to fly," Azusa continued, "every time you accelerate, decelerate, ascend, and descend, you need to layer a new spell over the magic already being executed. Since the necessary Phenomena Interference Magic increases each time, the most you can hope for is ten layers. This is why Flying Spells aren't feasible in the real world. I was thinking that if layering was necessary, you could just cancel the ongoing spell and launch a new one in its place."

"But if it's that simple, then somebody must have already tried it, right?" asked Mayumi. "Not to mention, it's like unleashing Area Interference after the fact..."

"The year before last, in England, they conducted an experiment based on the concept you just spoke of," said Suzune, who was at a nearby computer. "...but it ended in failure."

"What was the reason?" inquired Azusa.

"It doesn't say here."

"What do you think, Tatsuya?" asked Mayumi.

"That experiment was fundamentally flawed," Tatsuya said. His words were evidence of a vast amount of knowledge on the subject, which made Mayumi speculate that Taurus Silver was working on a flying spell of his own.

"A magic sequence can't be used on another magic sequence," Tatsuya explained. "That's true even in the case of Area Interference. Unless it's a spell that directly wipes out the magic sequence, it's no exception to this rule, even if it's an anti-magic spell." The level of Tatsuya's familiarity with the inner workings of anti-magic left everyone speechless for a second.

"In other words," Mayumi began, "they're just using magic needlessly?"

"Yes," Tatsuya said. "The British scholars who planned that experiment must have misunderstood the nature of anti-magic."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"The Student Council hereby nominates Tatsuya Shiba of Class 1-E as a member of the engineering staff." The athletes and engineers for the Nine Schools Competition were all gathered in the Extracurricular Activities Federation headquarters to hear the Student Council's final selection of an engineer. Needless to say, there were some questioning voices.

"A Course 2 student?"

"Yeah, but he's on the Disciplinary Committee, right?"

"Is he up to fine-tuning CADs?"

"They don't even have a clue about how good Tatsuya is," Shizuku said with her usual monotony.

"Yeah," Honoka agreed. "I know I'd like to have Tatsuya take on the job."

"Apparently, some among us aren't convinced," Jumonji said. "It would probably be best to have them actually see Shiba's skills."

"What are we going to do, specifically?" asked Mari.

"We should have him adjust an actual CAD," Jumonji suggested. "I'd be happy to serve as the guinea pig."

"That could be dangerous!" an athlete shouted. "If his tuning turns out to be sub-par, injury will be the least of your problems!" The athlete probably meant well, be he didn't know who he was talking about. Mayumi did.

"All right then, since I'm the one who nominated Shiba, I'll gladly take on that role," she said.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

The entire group had moved to one of the areas of the school that was specialized for CAD fine-tuning, with Mayumi serving as the test subject to prove Tatsuya's skills.

"The task is to copy Ms. Saegusa's CAD's settings over to this CAD for competitive use," Tatsuya said, "and to make it immediately usable. However, I'm not to tamper with the activation sequence itself. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's what we want you to do," Jumonji said.

"What's the matter?" Mayumi jumped in, seeing a fleeting expression of worry cross Tatsuya's face.

"I don't really recommend copying the settings of a CAD with different specifications," Tatsuya said. "Well, it can't be helped. I'll take a "Safety First" approach," he said as he began typing furiously on the keyboard, calibrating everything to fit Mayumi's standards. He was editing the code on a base level, and at such a speed as would have been impossible for any other engineer to achieve. Despite this, many of the athletes felt that his using a keyboard, especially in an age with holographic buttons and easy-to-use GUIs, was a sign of his poor skills.

"What's that guy doing?"

"Strictly keyboard in this day and age?"

"That's beyond old-school!"

 _"So that's how a master engineer works,"_ muttered Mayumi. Someone understood how impressive Tatsuya was, though.

"Totally manually fine-tuning it, huh?" said a second-year boy with dark blue hair.

"Hey, Kei, is that something amazing?" asked the purple-haired second-year girl standing beside him.

"Yeah," Kei replied. "It's just that there seem to be a lot of people who don't get what it is that he's doing."

"I'm finished," Tatsuya said, punctuating the conversation.

Eagerly, Mayumi slipped her CAD on her forearm and tried casting the spell. It appeared successful, though the success of the spell was not the measure by which Tatsuya was being tried.

"Ms. Saegusa, how does that feel to you?" asked Jumonji.

"It's excellent! It's like it fits even better than my own CAD," Mayumi said, obviously elated.

"So he does seem to have passable skills," an athlete remarked. "But you can't say that he's got finesse. His methods are too irregular."

"I, for one, strongly support naming Shiba to the team!" A-chan was coming to Tatsuya's defense. "The skills he just showed us are extremely advanced. Doing all that fine-tuning manually...that's something I could never hope to do."

"Sure, his skills may be advanced," the athlete retorted, "but if the end-product is pedestrian, there's no point."

"Considering Ms. Saegusa's position among the Ten Master Clans, her personal CAD is a model boasting higher specs than the one for competitive use," Hanzo said. "Preventing the user from picking up on the difference, no, making the lower-spec CAD feel even more natural: I believe that such skills should be rated highly."

"Well, I guess you could say that..." said the athlete.

"Chairwoman?" said Hanzo. "I support adding Shiba to the engineering team."

"Hanzo?"

"In the Nine Schools Competition," he continued, "our school's prestige will be on the line. "Because he's a first year" or "There's no precedent"...we cannot afford to dwell on such trivial matters."

"I also agree with what you just pointed out, Hattori," said Jumonji. "Shiba just showed us that he has the skills to be a member of our school's team. I, too, support adding Shiba to the team."

And with that, it was settled.

* * *

 **~That Night~**

A phone rang in the Shiba household. And it was a household, now that Miyuki had moved in.

"It's been a long time," Tatsuya said as he answered the video call and addressed the uniform-clad individual opposite him.

"Yes, long time no see, Special Officer," replied the man.

"If that's how you're referring to me, are we on a secret line?" asked Tatsuya. "I'm really amazed at how adept you are at breaking into civillian landlines every single time."

"Not that it was easy," admitted the man. "Special Officer, isn't the security around your house way too hard-core?"

"That's because hackers these days are relentless," Tatsuya replied. "So Major, what's on your agenda today?"

"First, some work-related news," the Major responded.

"Right."

"Today, we finished overhauling the Third Eye," the Major said as the image of a rifle appeared on the screen. "At this juncture, we'd like you to update the software and run some functionality tests."

"Very well," said Tatsuya. "I'll head over there tomorrow morning."

"No, we're not so pressed for time that you need to miss school."

"No, I'm scheduled to report to FLT on my next day off anyway," said Tatsuya.

"I see," said the Major. "Then, tomorrow morning, report to the usual place."

"Understood, sir."

"Moving on, Special Officer," the Major said, "rumor has it that you'll be taking part in the Nine Schools Competition, too?"

"Yes, sir."

"The competition site is in the Southeast Fuji Training Area," the Major said. "Well, of course it's the same every year, but watch your back, Tatsuya. In that same area, we've repeatedly spotted what are most likely members of an international crime syndicate. Considering the timing, we think they're targeting the Nine Schools Competition."

"You said it was an international crime syndicate?" Tatsuya asked.

"I had Mibu look into it."

"First High School, second year, Mibu Sayaka..." said Tatsuya. "You're talking about her father?"

"That's right," said the Major. "After retiring from the Army, Mibu transferred to the Cabinet Information Management Agency, and he's currently in charge of international crime units."

"I'm surprised," Tatsuya said.

"According to Mibu," the Major continued, "they might very well be members of a Hong Kong-based crime syndicate, the No-Head Dragons. I'll be in touch as soon as I receive any additional information."

"Thank you very much."

"Oh, and one more thing, Special Officer..."

"What is it, Major Kazama?"

"We stopped another leak from spreading. I'm sure I don't have to name it for you to know what I'm talking about."

"I'll be more careful in the future, sir."

"See that you do."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Tatsuya was working on finishing a project when he heard the doorbell ring. Using Elemental Sight, he was quickly able to tell who the visitor was, but decided to keep going with his work anyway. He'd show them what he was working on in a minute, anyway.

"Tatsuya, I have a couple surprises for you," said Miyuki. "First, turn around."

"Perfect timing," replied Tatsuya. "I was just about to go..." He was cut off by the sight of Miyuki in her Mirage Bat outfit, a pink and blue minidress with long white leggings and sleeves. "Is that your Mirage Bat costume, by any chance?" Tatsuya asked, even though he knew it was.

"That's correct!" Miyuki replied. "But that's not the only surprise..."

"Hi Tatsuya!" said Mayumi as she entered Tatsuya's underground lab. "Miyuki invited me over for dinner, and she told me not to tell...wait..." Mayumi's sudden stop caught Miyuki's attention.

"Are you okay?" Miyuki asked.

"Just. Look." came the reply.

It was then that she noticed that Tatsuya wasn't sitting at his desk, even though he appeared to be. In fact, he wasn't sitting at all...he was floating in midair, legs crossed in front of him, a small smile on his face.

"The Flying Spell..." Miyuki began. "Congratulations! So you've succeeded in launching a Sustained Gravity Control Type Flying Spell!"

"Tatsuya, I knew that you were Taurus Silver, but I didn't know that you were smart enough to solve one of the three major puzzle of weight-based magic!" Mayumi exhaled. "Yes, congratulations indeed! This makes me feel all the better about having you on our engineering staff. It looks like our school will have access to Flying Magic for the Nine Schools Competition!"

"It looks like you have made the impossible...possible, brother!" Miyuki exclaimed gleefully.

"Now just wait, you two. This still needs to be field-tested at FLT before I can publicly release the sequence, but how would you two like to try it out? I'm sure that you can handle it."

"With pleasure!" said Miyuki.

"I'll go after her!" said Mayumi.

Tatsuya and Mayumi held their breath as Miyuki readied the small specialized CAD that was used to fly.

"I'm beginning," she said.

Miyuki pressed a button, and waves of blue light engulfed her for a second.

"So?" asked Tatsuya. "Do you find the successive proccessing of the Activation Sequences draining?"

"I'm fine," replied Miyuki. "No headache, and no sense of fatigue."

Tatsuya and Mayumi watched for a few minutes as Miyuki flew around the room, before handing the controls off to Mayumi. After a few minutes of practice, Tatsuya asked her to help him analyze it.

"Does the spell feel choppy?"

"No, not at all, Tatsuya. Why?"

"The cornerstone of this system is its recording function," replied Tatsuya, "which allows it to accurately record the activation points of each ongoing spell. Humans aren't made to do this kind of digital processing, so I figured all I had to do was use the machine to supplement it."

"This was unexpected, Mr. Silver," said Mayumi. "Though I'm not complaining... Being the third person in the world to use flying magic...you sure know how to show a girl a good time, Tatsuya!"

Tatsuya smiled.


	9. NSC Part 2

**[Episode 9: Nine Schools Competition - Part 2]**

"Tatsuya, after everything has been tested, verified, and official published, what do you think the chances are of our team being able to use flying magic in the Nine Schools Competition?" asked Mayumi. "First High needs to establish its superiority among the other schools...well, re-establish. They may have forgotten how powerful we are since last year's NSC."

"It really depends on the competition, Chairwoman," replied Tatsuya. "The effect on Speed Shooting and Crowd Ball, for example, would be so insignificant that Flying Magic would be useless."

"That's no fair!" cried Mayumi. "Those are the only competitions that I am partaking in this year. I'm not going to get another chance to show off Flying Magic!"

"Chairwoman, I thought you wanted the entire team to use Flying Magic, and in order to display our school's superiority?" Tatsuya said with a grin. "If you would like to participate in Mirage Bat or Battle Board, then by all means fly away."

"Oh, so you haven't heard, Tatsuya."

"Heard what?"

"They're allowing women to compete in this year's Monolith Code competition, ostensibly as a first step towards the equalization of gender roles in the NSC," Mayumi explained. "Though, really, they're just catering to Kudou Retsu."

"The Patriarch? Why?" Tatsuya asked. "Isn't the Nine Schools Competition sponsored by Magic University, not the Ten Master Clans?"

"Well, yes," Mayumi responded. "It's just that his grand-niece, or something, is currently an exchange student at Third High, and apparently she's pretty powerful."

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Tatsuya, I know that you're Taurus Silver, but sometimes it seems like you don't understand magicians at all," Mayumi sighed. "The NSC is basically a competition of power, but in a friendly, sport-like setting. As such, whichever school wins in both individual events and overall standing gets more prestige, which means more powerful students enrolling and also more money from the Magic University."

"I'm aware of that," Tatsuya remarked. "I still don't see why they would make special exceptions for someone, however."

"The Third High student council are the ones who requested it, apparently," Mayumi said. "Though I suspect it's on orders from the school administration, as Third High is second only to us in terms of power. If they win, they could become the top-ranked magic high school."

"But why would the Tournament Committee, who's in charge of the Nine Schools Competition, agree to that?" asked Tatsuya.

"They agreed on the condition that every school have the same opportunity," Mayumi replied. "Which brings us to the real reason why I came here tonight. If we're going to win the Monolith Code event, we need the best students to compete."

"Chairwoman, my Activation Speed is so slow it's not even funny," Tatsuya said, expecting Mayumi to try to recruit him.

"Hahaha!" Mayumi was surprised by Tatsuya's assumption. "I'm well aware of your Activation Speed, Tatsuya. I came here tonight to talk to Miyuki about taking part in the Monolith Code event."

"Miyuki?"

"When the school told me about the special conditions for this year's event, they also permitted me to see Miyuki's entrance exam scores," Mayumi said, quickly regaining her composure. "It's unethical, yes, but they wanted to emphasize that she should be participating in that event. Her Activation Speed was faster than anything the school has ever seen...even the machinery couldn't keep up with her, meaning we actually don't know how fast she is."

"Miyuki is incredibly gifted, yes," Tatsuya commented. "If I may be permitted one question, what are the rules of the Monolith Code event?"

"Oh, well..." Mayumi began. "There's two teams of three. Each team is trying to protect their Monolith from the other team, using only magic: no physical contact is allowed, and only low-level non-lethal magic is allowed at that. There are three ways to win: one, use a special spell on the enemy's Monolith and then enter the hidden code into a terminal, which is how the event gained its name. Two, render all three members of the other team unconscious. Three, the other team forfeits. Is that a satisfactory description?"

"Yes, thank you, Chairwoman," Tatsuya replied. "Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to request that Miyuki does not take part in that event."

"But why, Tatsuya?" Mayumi asked, distressed. "Especially with our school's honor and reputation on the line!"

"It's simple. As Miyuki's brother, I cannot let anyone put my sister in danger; specifically, if the other team decides to try to knock Miyuki out. Since the unconscious-elimination strategy is the simplest, it has the greatest probablility of being used on the battlefield, meaning there is a very real possiblility that Miyuki could be injured."

"Tatsuya?" Both Tatsuya and Mayumi turned as Miyuki entered, holding a tray with teacups and a kettle on it. "I've returned with the tea, though it seems you two were discussing me in my absence."

"Miyuki, would you like to participate in this year's Monolith Code event?" Mayumi didn't waste any time. "We really need you, since you have the highest Activation Speed in the entire school and we've got some stiff competition."

"Miyuki, as your brother I would seriously advise against it," Tatsuya said. "It's not safe. You could get hurt."

"Life's not safe, Tatsuya," Miyuki said. "You won't always be there to protect me, so what's the point in passing up such a great opportunity?"

"If that's your wish, I won't intrude," Tatsuya unwillingly releted.

"Yes! Now I know we'll win! Or, at least, that we have a fighting chance." exclaimed Mayumi.

"You sound so confident."

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki stepped of the bus at Four Leaves Technology. Tatsuya briefly wondered if the bus driver was one of the people who had leaked information on him to Watanabe Mari...it certainly was possibly for public servants to be bribed, especially considering the fact that Mari was dating a high-ranking Chiba family member who had some amount of influence.

As they walked into the lab, Tatsuya was greeted by a horde of elated scientists and researchers.

"Oh, Young Master!"

"Welcome, Young Master!"

"Young Master!"

'Young Master' was Tatsuya's unofficial title at the lab.

"Sorry to intrude," Tatsuya replied. "Where can I find Chief Ushiyama?"

"You wanted to see me, mister?" A tall man with a short goatee and big hair approached Tatsuya.

"Forgive me, Chief," Tatsuya said. "For requesting an audience when you're so busy."

"Whoa, this won't do, you know," said Chief Ushiyama. "All of us here are your subordinates. If the great Mr. Silver himself acts too humbly around us, it'll set a bad example. It's an honor for us all to be able to work under you."

"There'd be no Taurus Silver if it wasn't for you, Mr. Taurus, the head of this facility," replied Tatsuya. Mari and Mayumi may have found out about Tatsuya's involvement with Taurus Silver, but what they didn't know was that Tatsuya mostly worked on the CAD programming aspects of Taurus Silver's designs. "Without your technical prowess, Mr. Ushiyama," Tatsuya continued, "the Loop Cast System would never have become a reality."

"Hey, enough of this," Ushiyama retorted. "Never mind that - why don't we talk business now?"

"Okay, Mr. Ushiyama," Tatsuya said. "As for today's prototype...this is it," he said, opening up a briefcase to reveal the specialized Flying Magic CAD that Miyuki and Mayumi had tested the previous night.

"Would this be..." Chief Ushiyama was puzzled for a second. "...a flying device, by any chance?"

"Yes," Tatsuya replied. "I took the hardware mock-up that you built and programmed a Sustained Gravity Control Type Magic Spell activation sequence into it."

"Tetsu," Ushiyama said, addressing the young boy next to him. "How many T-7 models do we have on hand?"

"That would be ten, sir!" Tatsuya felt a moment of pity for this boy, considering that since he knew about Taurus Silver's identity, he must be under extreme pressure from the Yotsuba to keep his mouth shut.

"You idiot!" Ushiyama yelled. "Why didn't you replenish the stash? Bring over all we have!"

"Hai!" came the prompt response.

"We're talking about a Flying Spell!" Ushiyama continued. "The history of modern magic is about to change!"

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya, Ushiyama, Miyuki, and a handful of scientists watched from an observation room as the spell testers finished putting on their harnesses over their safety suits. Each tester was outfitted with a standard black jumpsuit along with a sleek black helmet with an orange visor, looking like a soldier out of one of the old video games.

"All systems go," one of the scientists reported.

"Start the experiment," Ushiyama said into the loudspeaker.

"Yes, sir." The first tester pressed a button on the specialized CAD.

"Lift-off confirmed."

"No spike in ground contact pressure due to the reaction force."

"Margin of error for upward acceleration rate is within acceptable parameters."

"CAD operation is stable."

"Upward acceleration rate decreasing..."

"Zero."

"Now ascending at a constant speed."

"Upward acceleration rate now negative."

"Upward acceleration rate, zero."

"He's come to a stop."

"Horizontal acceleration detected!"

"Keep going," said Chief Ushiyama.

"He moved..."

"He's flying..."

"Acceleration stopped. He's moving horizontally at one meter per second."

"Tester One to Observation Deck," a voice said over the intercom. "At this time, I'm walking through the air - no, I'm flying across the sky. I'm free!" Upon hearing this, all the other testers promptly activated their CADs as well, and joined their compatriot in the air as the observation deck erupted in the peals of success.

"We did it!"

"It's a success!"

"Congratulations, Young Master."

"Thank you very much," Tatsuya replied.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"You guys, are you all morons, or what?" Ushiyama asked the testers as they collapsed on the ground. "Starting a game of tag in mid-air? Really? No way can you use Sustained Gravity Type Magic for that long."

"Just as I thought," Tatsuya remarked. "The successive processing of the activation sequence would be too stressful if we left it like this."

"Well, sure," Ushiyama replied. "Compared to you and our princess here, the average magician has a scant amount of Psions at his disposal."

"We'll have to make the CAD's automatic Psion absorption scheme more efficient," Tatsuya said in response to Ushiyama's comment.

"That, I'll figure out on my end," Ushiyama said. "If we can get the hardware to do more of the processing, it should take some of the load off."

"Actually," replied Tatsuya, "I was planning to consult you on that very thing."

"Well, now, what an honor!"

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki were walking through one of the corridors of Four Leaves Technology on their way to the exit when the door in front of them slid open to reveal two men walking in the opposite direction. One of the men was dressed in a nice grey suit with a gold-colored tie, though considering his position as Vice President, it might have actually been made of gold. The other was a butler; his profession was obvious from his Victorian-style black penguin suit with a white undershirt, a grey vest, and a black tie.

"Well, well, Ms. Miyuki," the butler said. "It's certainly been a while."

"It's been a long time, Mr. Aoki," Miyuki replied. "And oto-sama...you look well."

"Yes," the older man - Tatsuya and Miyuki's father - replied curtly.

"I know why you would be here, oto-sama," said Miyuki, "but why are you here, Mr. Aoki? Shouldn't you be at the Yotsuba complex?"

"I am here to assist your father in reparing a data leak, Ms. Miyuki," Aoki replied. "And you?"

"Tatsuya just invented Flying Magic."

"Good job, Tatsuya," said Shiba Tatsurou. "Though if I may request something of you, please keep your groundbreaking inventions quiet for the next few months...the other labs are starting to get jealous of the reputation of you and Chief Ushiyama."

"I'd be happy to oblige, oto-sama," Tatsuya replied, "but on one condition: release the magic sequence for the Flying Spell as soon as possible, and allow First High School to use it in the upcoming Nine Schools Competition."

"That's quite the request, coming from a heartless, bogus magician like yourself," interjected Aoki as ice began to swirl around him.

"Mr. Aoki, I'd like you to please watch your tone around my brother," Miyuki said. "Do you know that my oba-sama has specifically instructed Tatsuya to call her okaa-sama? Ever since our mother died, and she adopted Tatsuya, she's considered herself a sort of mother to him. So imagine what calling her 'son' bogus says of your opinion of her, Mr. Aoki." Tatsuya was quietly impressed at his sister's quick thinking.

"Tatsuya, I will grant your request," Tatsurou said, putting an end to the conversation. "First High may have advanced access to Flying Magic, though whether they win or lose is entirely up to them."

"Of course," Tatsuya agreed.

"But I too have a condition," his father continued. "Please don't do anything to upset my sister-in-law again. Dealing with the fallout of that young woman...what's her name? Watanabe Mari? Dealing with the fallout of Watanabe sicking the Chiba investigatory hounds on Four Leaves Technology was not fun."

"Understood, oto-sama," Tatsuya said as he and Miyuki walked away.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere, at Third High~**

Angelina Kudou Shields was not having a good day. She had just received word that First High was rumored to have someone who could challenge her in Monolith Code; Shiba Miyuki was the girl's name, and apparently First High had gone so far as to have the Student Council President recruit her personally. If this 'Miyuki' was really that powerful, she could be a problem. On the other hand, if Shiba Miyuki could defeat her, Lina may have just found her sacrificial lamb which she had been searching for...the only thing left to do was wait and see if Miyuki lived up to her expectations...

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

"Good morning!"

"We heard the news, Shiba! That's awesome!"

"Good luck, Shiba!"

"They made you an engineer? Show them what you've got!"

Tatsuya's classmates had apparently gotten wind of his appointment to the Engineering Staff of First High's Nine Schools Competition Team.

"Word really travels fast, huh?" Leo said, turning in his seat to face Tatsuya.

"You're right about that," Mizuki commented. "After all, they only just made the decision."

"Now that you mention it," Erika said, jumping into the conversation, "aren't they making the official announcement during today's Launch Ceremony?"

"That would be fifth period, right?" Mizuki asked. "You'll be taking part, too, won't you, Tatsuya?"

"Yeah..." he said hesitantly.

"You're the only Course 2 student, right?" Leo asked Tatsuya.

"Those Course 1 guys...I hear they're totally ticked off about this!" Erika said, not waiting for Tatsuya to answer Leo's question.

"Yeah, but the athletes are all Course 1 students," Tatsuya said, finally having a chance to talk.

"Well, it can't be helped," Mizuki said. "Envy isn't based on reason, after all."

"Oh, you'll be fine," Erika said confidently. "Unlike recruitment week, they won't be hurling magic at you."

* * *

 **~Later That Day, at the Nine Schools Competition Launch Ceremony~**

Every athlete and engineer was lined up single-file, facing the audience, on the main stage in the newly-repaired First High Auditorium. Nearly the entire school had come to the Launch Ceremony; the only time when it might have been more full was during matriculation, as attendance of that event was mandatory for every student.

"Next, Class 1-A, Ms. Mitsui Honoka," Mayumi said. Appropriate applause rang throughout the auditorium as Miyuki, being the newest member of the Student Council, fixed a special First High pin to Honoka's lapel.

"Pretty nerve-wracking, huh?" Isori Kei whispered to Tatsuya out of the corner of his mouth as Miyuki made her way down the long line of athletes and engineers.

"Yes, it is," Tatsuya replied. He wasn't technically lying; he was not looking forward to being announced as the only Course 2 student who would be competing. Granted, this was a different form of nervousness than anyone else on the stage was experiencing, but Tatsuya's nerves were afire nonetheless. It didn't help Tatsuya's nerves to see his Course 2 classmates sitting in the first block of audience seats; Erika waved to him when he saw her. But Tatsuya's view of his class was interrupted by his sister stepping in front of him.

"Class 1-E, Shiba Tatsuya," Mayumi said (with just a little bit _too_ much appreciation in her voice). Miyuki fixed Tatsuya's pin to his lapel. Erika, Leo, Mizuki, Miyuki, and the other Course 2 students clapped. Mayumi tried clapping into the microphone to prompt the Course 1 students to play along, but it didn't work; in fact, her attempt to drum up applause only emphasized how little applause there actually was. _I can see why Tatsuya doesn't like standing out,_ she thought. "And now, please give First High's finest a nice round of applause."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"I'm Shiba of the technical staff." Tatsuya was in a classroom with the female athletes he'd be managing for the Nine Schools Competition. "Aside from fine-tuning CADs, I'll be involved in creating training regimens and providing strategic support."

"I'd rather have a girl for my engineer!"

"Makes no difference to me. As long as he does his job right, that is."

"Look here, Eimi!" Honoka said, referring to the first girl. "You're being rude, too, Subaru!" she said to the second. "Tatsuya's skills are professional-grade, you know!"

"Oh?" a third girl said. "You're on a first-name basis, then? What is he, your boyfriend?"

"O-Of course it's not like that..." Honoka stuttered. "Right, Shizuku?" she said, turning to her friend in the next seat.

"Yes," Shizuku replied with her usual monotone. "I call him by his first name, too."

"Shizuku calls him by his first name, too?" the girl cried incredulously. "Who are those two to your brother, anyway?" she said, addressing Miyuki.

"Honoka and Shizuku are friends of my brother's," Miyuki replied in turn.

"Friends?"

"That's right, friends."

"Something's fishy..."

"They're his friends," Miyuki reiterated as Tatsuya sighed.

"I'd like to get this meeting started, everybody," he said, wanting to get to work as soon as possible.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere, at Third High~**

Lina was upset. Even with her STARS connections, information about Shiba Miyuki was either scarce or nonexistent, which was unusual, to say the least. The only thing that Lina did find was a second-hand report of someone whose uncle worked at First High and had reportedly seen Shiba Miyuki's entrance exam scores; apparently, her Activation Speed was too fast for the machines. This amount of power, combined with the secrecy surrounding Shiba Miyuki, led Lina to joke with herself that Miyuki might actually be the Strategic Magician who wiped out the Great Asian Alliance fleet at Okinawa. She quickly dismissed such thoughts as preposterous, however, given the fact that Miyuki didn't appear to be connected to any of the Ten Master Clans or any government officials, for that matter; she would have to forge such connections in order to convince her superiors in the USNA of Miyuki's guilt.

* * *

 **~Later That Month, at the Saegusa Residence~**

"Ms. Saegusa, I have that report on Mibu Yuzo that you requested," one of the Saegusa family butlers said while bowing and giving a file folder to Mayumi.

"Thank you," Mayumi replied. "I'll examine this later. You've been a big help."

"Mayumi, why are you researching miscellaneous government officials?"

"Oh, oto-sama, I didn't see you there!"

"I know when a daughter of mine is avoiding a question. I raised your sisters, after all."

"It's nothing important...just my own personal curiosity."

"Hmm."

* * *

 **~July 2095~**

There was only one week left until the competition began on August 1st. Mizuki was watching the athletes train under Tatsuya's guidance when she saw a slight glare coming from one of the upper windows of First High. She looked again, but didn't see anything; having decided to take off her glasses, Mizuki was overwhelmed by a storm of Psions eminating from the nearby building. Then the storm stopped, but a slight Psion 'glow' still surrounded a wing of the building. Mizuki decided to investigate.

Her short adventure - if exploring her own school could be called an adventure - led her to the corridor outside the Medicine Experiment Rooms. _This scent_ , she thought. _Is it...rainwater?_ Opening the door to one of the experiment rooms, Mizuki saw Yoshida Mikihiko standing in the center, surrounded by various shades of blue orbs. _Spirits?_ she wondered. Unfortunately, her presence did not go unnoticed.

"Who's there?" Yoshida said, quickly turning and directing the spirits to attack Mizuki, who cowered in fear. Before she was hurt, however, the spirits vanished in a flash of light - not that Mizuki saw this, however, because she had her eyes closed in grim anticipation. Opening her eyes after nothing happened, she saw Tatsuya standing in between her and Mikihiko, the two of them locked in what appeared to be an intense staring contest.

"Get ahold of yourself, Mikihiko," Tatsuya said, breaking the silence. "I'm not getting into it with you here and now." This made Mikihiko come to his senses.

"My bad, Tatsuya," he said. "That was never my intention."

"Not a problem," Tatsuya said as Mizuki breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. "In the first place, Mizuki's the one to blame for disturbing a spell-caster's composure," he continued.

"I'm to blame?" she said, nearly to the point of tears.

"No, it's not her fault," Mikihiko replied. "It was because of my inexperience. Thanks, Tatsuya. Thanks to you, I avoided injuring Ms. Shibata."

"Even if I hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't have hurt her," Tatsuya stated. "Anyway, that was one of the Ancient Magic spells - Spirit Magic, wasn't it?"

"I guess it's too late to try and hide it now," Mikihiko responded. "Just like you said, Tatsuya, I was using Water Spirits to practice my Summoning Magic."

"Water Spirits, huh?" Tatsuya muttered. "What did they look like to you, Mizuki?"

"Let's see..." she said. "There was blue, pale blue, and indigo blue...all I could see was orbs of light in shades of blue."

"You could see the different shades of color?" Mikihiko said incredulously.

"Um..." Mizuki said as Mikihiko approached her and stared intently into her eyes, their faces only inches apart - within kissing range. Tatsuya spoke up after a few seconds.

"If this is consensual, then I'm out of here," he said, making use of his dry wit to diffuse the situation. "But if not, we have a problem," he added seriously. Upon hearing this, both Mizuki and Mikihiko jumped back a step.

"Sorry," Mikihiko said.

"No...I'm sorry," Mizuiki replied.

"I don't see any reason for you to apologize, Mizuki," said Tatsuya. This only increased her embarassment.

"Really...I'm sorry," Mikihiko repeated. "When I thought that you might actually possess the Crystal Eyes, I just couldn't help myself..."

"Let's forget about this, Yoshida," Mizuki said, putting on her glasses. "You just startled me, that's all. But it did embarrass me, so please don't ever do that again, okay?"

"I'm really sorry," Mikihiko said once again. Apologizing profusely when it appeared that you were trying to forcibly kiss a girl, even if that wasn't your intention, was always the right move in Mikihiko's opinion. Not that he had ever been in this situation before...it was an opinion that he formed in the moment.

"Mikihiko, these Crystal Eyes...what are they?" Tatsuya asked, changing the subject and breaking the awkward tension. "If you don't mind, could you explain them to me?"

"Sure," he replied. "It's not that big of a secret anyway. Those of us who manipulate Spirits identify each Spirit by color. But it's not as if we can really see them in a true sense."

"In other words, you're not seeing them visually," Tatsuya explained, "but interpreting their vibrations through magic?"

"Great answer," Mikihiko said. "So it varies by school, how the colors are perceived. For example, my school sees water as blue. Fire is red. So each color is applied uniformly in our minds."

"But Mizuki was able to see that," Tatsuya commented.

"I'm guessing that you're perceiving the differences in each Water Spirit's power and nature as different shades of color," Mikihiko said to Mizuki. "Such eyes as yours are known as "eyes that can see God" - the "Crystal Eyes," in my school."

"Meaning that Mizuki is the kind of person you'd sell your souls to get your hands on, right?" Tatsuya said, becoming wary.

"Right," Mikihiko affirmed. "A year ago, I would've been mesmerized, and I might have claimed her for myself by force." At this, Mizuki took a step back from Mikihiko. "Hold up!" he said. "Right now I don't have those kinds of desires or tendencies, okay? Still, that doesn't mean that I'm inclined to tell the other spell-casters that the "key" to a "divine" kind of magic exists."

"Good idea," Tatsuya agreed. "I'm going to keep this to myself, as well." Mizuki looked confused.

"What are you talking about?"

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Tatsuya was surprised to find Yotsuba Maya in his house when he returned.

"I called you. You didn't pick up - again - so I decided to come here myself."

"Welcome, okaa-sama. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Now, that's an interesting phrase, Tatsuya. 'I hope I didn't keep you waiting _too long_.' It almost sounds like you _meant_ to keep me waiting for some period of time."

"I can assure you that was not my intent, okaa-sama."

"Right. It better not be, Tatsuya. Now, down to business. I hear you'll be competing in the Nine Schools Competition as one of the engineers, yes?"

"That's correct, okaa-sama."

"Whenever there is an opportunity - and there will certainly be an opportunity - I want you to show off."

"Pardon, okaa-sama?"

"Show off. You know, display your powers. Some of them, at least...don't go blowing up the Southeast Fuji Training Area with Material Burst, but do show just how powerful you are; show that you're a cut above the standard magician. And if you have the chance, try to show up a Ten Master Clans descendant."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, okaa-sama. Am I to ignore your previous order?"

"No, you are still to conceal your connection to both myself and FLT at any cost. Any. Cost. And need I remind you...it's not your place to understand. It's your place to do as I say."

"I'm sorry, okaa-sama."

"I see no reason for you to apologize, Tatsuya. It was a perfectly valid question. But I'm afraid that I must be going now...traffic at this time of night is a nightmare. I won't be attending the NSC, but rest assured, I will hear detailed reports of your status."

"I would expect nothing less, okaa-sama. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Tatsuya. Good luck."

* * *

 **~August 1st, 2095~**

The Nine Schools Competition officially began today, though the only event that would be taking place was a welcome reception and banquet, a time for all of the students from all of the schools to get together, before they would then compete against one another. Since First High was relatively close to the hotel where the contestant schools would be staying during the NSC, they would be travelling there today. The buses were just about to leave First High; they were only waiting on one student. Meanwhile, Tatsuya stood at the door of the athletes' bus, holding the roster for the event. He was taking attendance. Watanabe Mari was also there, watching him intently. Eventually, the student they were waiting for ran towards the bus.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried.

"You're late, Mayumi!" Mari said. "You're an hour and a half late."

"Sorry, sorry," Mayumi said as Tatsuya checked off her name on the attendance roster. Mayumi then turned to face Tatsuya. "I'm so sorry, Tatsuya. For keeping you waiting so long on my account."

"It's fine, as I was informed of the situation," Tatsuya said. "I hear that you had a family emergency?"

"By the way, Tatsuya," Mayumi said, avoiding the question, "what do you think of this?" She was obviously referring to the non-uniform dress that she was wearing. It was white with a red and green floral-inspired pattern, with a matching hat.

"That truly becomes you," Tatsuya said.

"Really? Thank you!" Mayumi replied. "Although if you'd been more bashful complimenting me, that would've been perfect."

"Chairwoman," Tatsuya began, "I'm sure the student on the bus are anxious to reach the lodgings, and do not want to watch me bashfully compliment your becoming dress."

"Oh...of course..." Mayumi said reluctantly as Tatsuya bowed and walked in the direction of the technical staff's buses. "Wait, um...Tatsuya?" He paused for a moment and turned. "Does that mean that if the situation was different, you would indeed bashfully compliment me?" Due to the distance between them, Mayumi had to yell...meaning that every student aboard the athletes' bus heard the question. Tatsuya knew this, and instantly turned red. "I'll take that as a yes!" Mayumi said, seeing this, and Tatsuya turned and continued walking toward his bus.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Various conversations were happening on the bus, as they tend to do when you put a group of dissimilar students on the same bus for two hours. Mayumi and Suzune were talking about her attraction to Tatsuya...

"I told you, Rin-chan, it's not like that!"

"And I asked you never to call me. So, we're even."

"Oh...say what you want."

...Kanon and Mari were talking about her attraction to Kei...

"Kanon, it shouldn't take us more than two hours, tops, to reach our lodgings. Why can't you even wait that long?"

"Oh, but that's pretty harsh of you! Of course I can wait that long! Even still, I was looking forward to going on a bus trip with Kei today!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

"And besides, isn't it perfectly natural to want to be with your fiance? First of all, why should the technical staff have to take another bus? This bus is nowhere near full...there was no reason to split us up!"

...and Miyuki and Honoka were talking about Monolith Code.

"So they recruited you specifically for that event?"

"Yeah, apparently Third High has an ace up their sleeve. A girl, the grand-niece of Kudou Retsu, and she wants to compete in Monolith Code. So the Tournament Committee allowed girls to compete in this year's Monolith Code."

"That's so cool, Miyuki! Who are your teammates?"

"Ms. Watanabe and Mr. Jumonji."

"Oh, so it's the Official Division Monolith Code?"

"No, it's still the rookie division match."

"But I thought particpants in rookie matches were limited to first year students only?"

"Some of the other schools raised some concerns about the safety of their students versus the Third High team, and requested that second and third year students be allowed to participate as well. The catch is that first year students can no longer take part in the official Monolith Code event, and there has to be at least one first year on the rookie team - but that's a reasonable trade."

"Who's our official team, then?"

"I know that Mr. Kirihara and Mr. Hattori are on the team, but I'm not sure who the third member is. And I don't mean to be rude to them, but because of Third High, every school is pouring their resources, namely their talented students, into the rookie Monolith Code event. It's certainly going to be one for the history books."

"You're lucky, Miyuki! To be able to take part in such a groundbreaking experience, and with Ms. Watanabe and Mr. Jumonji as your teammates, no less! I think you're sure to win!"

"Yeah, but Third High also has the Crimson Prince. His power rivals that of Mr. Jumonji's, seeing as how they are both heirs to powerful clans. It'll be a battle, but it would be much harder without Mr. Jumonji and Ms. Watanabe."

The students, engrossed in their conversations, were all caught off guard when a car from the other side of the road flipped over the center barrier, burst into flames, and started sliding right towards them. The bus driver performed an emergency stop, but the manouever left the bus's right flank completely open to the out-of-control vehicle. Various students stood up and raised their CADs, casting spells in order to try to stop the car before it reached the bus.

"Vanish!"

"Stop!"

"Idiots! Stop it!"


	10. NSC Part 3

**[Episode 10: Nine Schools Competition - Part 3]**

Chiyoda Kanon saw the careening car first, and raised her CAD. This alerted everyone else - several first year students, including Kitayama Shizuku, also raised their CADs to try to stop the car. No one noticed, but Tatsuya was also aware of the danger.

"Look out!"

"Vanish!"

"Stop!"

"Disperse!"

Their efforts were in vain, however, as their spells had no effect.

"Idiots! Stop it!" cried Watanabe Mari.

"Everyone, calm down!" said Saegusa Mayumi. "Cancel those spells!"

"Jumonji, do you think you can hold it off?" asked Mari.

"Just blocking it won't be a problem," he replied. "But the Psion storm is overpowering. I can't extinguish the fire as well!"

"I'll take care of the fire!" said Shiba Miyuki.

"I'm counting on you," came the curt reply from Jumonji.

"Hai." Miyuki stood and activated her CAD. There were already a mess of spells being cast on the car by the various first year students, which would have made Miyuki's job harder; she was saved only by the complete dismantling of the spells, which appeared as a flash of light and broken glass.

Spell dismantling was an extremely high-level action, and most people didn't even know what it was. So when Mari saw the active spells instantly disappear, she knew that something was up; she just didn't know what had actually happened. She glanced over at Mayumi, who was in a similar state of shock: similar, but different. It was likely that Mayumi knew what had just happened, and that was what had shocked her. Mari then glanced at Miyuki, who was just about to cast her spell, and saw that Miyuki had a small grin spreading across her face. _Put two and two together,_ she thought, _and that makes Tatsuya. But what did he do?_ Her thoughts were interrupted by Jumonji as he cast his clan's signature Phalanx spell, creating an impenetrable wall in front of the car. The car didn't stand a chance. It slammed against the wall and stopped instantly; thanks to Miyuki, the car was also no longer on fire.

* * *

 **~Some Minutes Later~**

The First High students had placed red safety cones around the buses and the car, and some first-year students were guiding traffic around the accident scene. Meanwhile, inside the athletes' bus, Mayumi was conducting a group debrief.

"Are you all okay?" she asked, before continuing. "Thank you, Jumonji. Thanks to you, the bus came out unscathed. You, too, Miyuki! That spell of yours was masterful!"

"I am honored, Chairwoman," she replied, "but I was only able to choose that magic sequence because Ms. Ichihara used a Deceleration Spell to stop the bus."

"Ms. Ichihara did that...?" This was apparently news to Kanon.

"Whereas you, on the other hand..." began Mari. "Kitayama and the others are first years, so I guess it can't be helped. But for you, a second year, to lead the charge in creating that mess... What were you thinking? You know that spells launched disorderly will cancel each other out, rendering them useless, don't you?"

"I'm sorry..." Kanon replied. Mayumi used this as a platform for a speech.

"In times of crisis, the first thing to do is to stay calm," she said. "And let's not forget to communicate."

As Mayumi was preaching safety and whatnot, Mari was still thinking about what she had witnessed earlier. _Who was it that cancelled those magic sequences?_

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

After the buses had pulled in to the drop-off zone for the hotel, Mayumi immediately ran off the bus and down to the engineers' transport, calling for Tatsuya. He came out after a few calls, looking slightly annoyed but as serious as ever.

"Tatsuya, come over here, where we can have some privacy."

"Chairwoman, I'm shocked," he deadpanned.

"No, Tatsuya...that's not what I meant. I want to talk about that car crash."

"Of course. I presumed as much."

"You were documenting it, right?"

"Indeed."

"And?"

"And what, Ms. Saegusa?"

"Was there anything...you know...special about it?"

"What would make you think there was?"

"Knowing who you are, Tatsuya, I know that you wouldn't document a simple car crash if there wasn't something more to it."

"You would make an excellent sleuth, Chairwoman. As it turns out, there were traces of magic present. Magic not cast by the students, that is."

"But I didn't notice anything..."

"There were only three spells cast, and they were designed for minimum detection. If Miyuki hadn't put the fire out, it might have destroyed any traces of magic - but here, let's walk inside as we talk. Some of the upperclassmen are waiting for me."

"Okay. What were the three spells?"

"First, a spell that blew out the tires of the car. The second spell caused the car to spin. And the third was applied upwards diagonally to catapult the car, using the guard rail as a launch pad. All three were cast from inside the car."

"Then...does that mean..."

"It was the driver. In other words, that was a suicide attack."

"Who would be desperate enough to launch a suicide attack on a high school athletics team? Was it Blanche?"

"...I don't know."

"Oh, come on, Tatsuya, you must know something!"

"...I can't say."

"Oh."

They walked through the sliding glass doors in silence, but the sound of silence was quickly disturbed.

"Hey there, Tatsuya!" Erika said, waiving at them. "You too, Mayumi!"

"Ms. Chiba, I know you helped during that incident in April, but we hardly know each other well enough to call each other by our first names..." Mayumi said awkwardly. "Aside from that, I'm also the President of the Student Council, and a leading member of the Ten Master Clans..."

"Well, we're not at school anymore," Erika stated matter-of-factly. "And I'm a member of the Hundred Families, so, I don't care."

"What are you doing here, Erika?" Tatsuya asked.

"If you put it like that, Tatsuya, you make me feel unwelcome..." Erika replied. "And I came here just to cheer you and Miyuki on, too! Oh, you, too, as well, _Mayumi_ ," she said, stressing Mayumi's first name.

"Mayumi, I'll be going on ahead," said Tatsuya.

"Not you too!" cried Mayumi, before she realized he was teasing her. "Oh...you were joking, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was," Tatsuya replied. "But I wasn't joking about the fact that the upperclassmen are waiting for me," he said as he walked away. He paused after a few seconds, and said, "But don't I remember a certain Student Council President asking me to call her by her first name?"

"Tatsuya!" Mayumi was livid. "I didn't mean...well...it's just that...yes, I guess I did...why haven't you, then? Recently it's been all 'Chairwoman this' and 'Chairwoman that.' My name isn't Chairwoman, you know."

"Oooh, a lovers' quarrel?" Erika couldn't help herself.

"Ms. Chiba, this is not the time..." Mayumi started, then stopped as she realized her mistake.

"So it IS a lovers' quarrel!" Erika said gleefully.

"Erika, play nice," scolded Tatsuya. "I'll see you later." He walked away, to Mayumi's dismay.

"So, Ms. Chiba," Mayumi began, trying to both drum up a conversation and change the subject. "Why did you come two days early?" Her question was never answered, however.

"Erika!" shouted Mizuki as she ran up to the pair. "Here't the key to our room...oh, Ms. Saegusa!"

"I don't think we've met, Ms..."

"Shibata Mizuki. Yes, this is our first time meeting." Noticing Mayumi's discomfort, Mizuki inquired. "Ms. Saegusa? Is something the matter?"

"That's a quite revealing dress, Ms. Shibata," Mayumi said.

"Do you really think so?" Mizuki replied. "Erika told me that I should lighten up, so that's why I'm wearing this."

"I see," Mayumi said. "Ms. Shibata, please don't take this the wrong way, but you should change as soon as possible. It's very becoming, and you look lovely, but I don't think it's appropriate for a school event like the Nine Schools Competition."

"I knew it!" Mizuki sounded like her suspicions had been proven correct.

"Oh, come on!" Erika said, her defenses on high alert. "It's practically the same thing as what you're wearing, Ms. Chairwoman Mayumi."

"That was uncalled for, Ms. Chiba..." Mayumi said, flustered. "By the way," she said, changing the subject, "are you staying here?"

"Yes," replied Mizuki.

"This hotel belongs to the military...I'm assuming Ms. Chiba used her family's name to get a reservation?" Mayumi asked.

"That's correct!" said Erika. "After all, what good are connections unless you use them? It would be a waste not to."

"That's true," said Mayumi. "But the games don't start until the day after tomorrow."

"There's a banquet tonight, right?" Erika asked.

"Yes," replied Mayumi, "but it's for competitors only. They won't let outsiders in. Don't take this the wrong way, Ms. Chiba, but I don't want to see someone there who wasn't invited."

"Don't worry, Mizuki's too shy to infiltrate a party." Erika feigned ignorance. "But the question is - would I be allowed to be there if I was an insider?" Her question was punctuated by the arrival of Miyuki.

"Erika! Mizuki! ...Oh, and the Chairwoman as well!" Miyuki said.

"See, Ms. Chiba, someone knows how to address me properly." Mayumi looked proud that Miyuki had called her 'Chairwoman.'

"But Ms. Chairwoman Mayumi," began Erika, "I thought you were just getting after your boyfriend for being too formal with you?"

"TATSUYA IS NOT-" Mayumi lost her cool for a second, then looked around and realized that she was still in a hotel lobby where random people could walk in at any moment and hear her ranting about Shiba Tatsuya not being her boyfriend. Instead of finishing her sentence, Mayumi decided to make a tactical retreat. "Miyuki, would you care to join me for some tea? I remember this hotel has a great restaurant."

* * *

 **~That Night~**

The banquet was in full swing. Tatsuya, being - literally - the only Course 2 student in the entire room, was standing all alone against the wall that was furthest from the stage. He had a drink, but he had finished it awhile ago.

"Would you care for a drink, sir?" Erika's distinctive voice interrupted Tatsuya's thoughts.

"So this is what you meant by 'insider.'" Erika was dressed in a waitresses' dress and apron that resembled the outfits worn by French maids once upon a time. She had apparently snuck into the party by pretending to be a waitress; that much was obvious.

"Ah, so you heard about it from Mayumi," Erika said. "That begs the question: when did you see her in between the bus trip and here? Everyone was in their rooms, unpacking. Did she, perchance, slip into your room-" Her sentence was cut short by Tatsuya.

"Erika. You might want to be careful when insinuating things about the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan," Tatsuya cautioned, though it was more of a threat than a warning. "So who else is here?"

"Miki's a waiter, and both Leo and Mizuki are washing dishes."

"What's the point of sneaking into a party if you're just going to wash dishes?"

"It's exciting! Plus, I get to annoy Leo, which makes it all worthwhile."

"And why didn't you have Mizuki and Mikihiko working together? I'm sure that would give you plenty of ammunition to tease them with."

"Trying to change my target, are we? Well, I was going to, but then I decided to try to separate the lovebirds. That way, I can tease them individually about each other."

"I see," Tatsuya said. "Though, by that logic, that makes you and Leo a couple."

Erika was floored. Tatsuya had brilliantly turned her own trick on her. It was just then that they heard a familiar voice.

"Tatsuya, are you chatting up a waitress?" It was Mayumi, but Erika didn't recognize her voice immediately, so she turned around. Big mistake. "...YOU!"

"Gotta go!" And with that, Erika vanished into the crowd, along with someone's empty plate.

"Tatsuya, what is she doing here?" Mayumi was not happy that Erika decided to crash the party in spite of her warning.

"She's masquerading as a waitress. That's what she meant by 'insider.' As for what she's actually doing, it looks like clearing tables and spreading gossip."

"I told her not to come. I was polite, too!" Mayumi sighed. "Why did this have to happen during my term as President?"

"Mayumi, you're treating it as if it's some major international crisis," Tatsuya said. "I think she'll just be a minor disturbance at most, and only to those who know she's a First High student."

"Yeah...I suppose..."

"Ms. Saegusa. There you are." Honoka and Shizuku approached them; it was Shizuku who had spoken, as if that wasn't already apparent from the monotonous voice.

"So Tatsuya's with you!" Honoka said.

"You two are always together, aren't you?" Tatsuya commented.

"Because we're friends," Shizuku said nonchalantly. "There's no reason for us not to be together."

"Guess there isn't," Tatsuya replied.

"Anyway, Ms. Saegusa, some of the first year athletes are looking for you," Honoka said. "I think they want to approach you, but they know it's not happening with Tatsuya around."

"What am I, a watchdog?" Tatsuya said dryly.

"Speaking of, where is Miyuki?" asked Mayumi. "I haven't seen her since tea this afternoon."

"She's over there with Hattori," Tatsuya said.

"Anyway, I'm sure they just don't know how to deal with you, Tatsuya!" Honoka said energetically.

"Utterly ridiculous," said Chiyoda Kanon, who walked up to them along with her fiance Kei. "He's a fellow student at First High and a teammate, right?"

"Not doing what's right even when you know better..." mused Kei, "that's human nature, Kanon."

"Well, that should only be acceptable in certain situations," replied his fiancee.

"Those are both sound arguments," said Mayumi, "but for now, there's an even simpler solution. Let's all go join the others. You too, Tatsuya."

"Is that a good idea, Mayumi?" Tatsuya asked.

"There's only one way to find out!" she said cheerfully. With that, they all left to join the first year athletes. While initially skeptical of Tatsuya's presence, they quickly warmed up once they understood that he was also a talented first year, same as them.

Meanwhile, the Third High students were keenly observing their First High competition - specifically, the boys were admiring Miyuki, but Lina was there to scout out the competition.

"That girl's drop-dead gorgeous, huh?"

"Forget it, you wouldn't have a chance with her."

"Shut up. Back off, will you?"

"Masaki, what's going on?" asked Lina. It was unusual for Masaki to stare at a girl; even Lina, who considered herself to be far above-average in terms of beauty, could not say that Masaki had ever paid her the same attention.

"Lina. Listen, do you know who that girl is?" Masaki asked in return. And this is where things got complicated for Lina. First of all, it was bad that she was framing someone as a dangerous weapon, and there was a chance that person would die as a result. It was worse that she was doing it to protect a friend, but Masaki's interest in Shiba Miyuki put a whole new spin on the current situation. If Masaki and Miyuki were to ever be...involved...and then Miyuki were to die, Masaki would be emotionally devastated, considering how he almost never got close to people. If it was ever revealed that Lina was behind Miyuki's death, well, even with her Parade magic, Lina might have a hard time fighting the Crimson Prince. With this catch-22 situation running through her mind, Lina cautiously answered.

"Oh...her name is Shiba Miyuki," Lina said. "She'll be competing in Ice Pillars Break, Mirage Bat, and Monolith Code. I hear she's the ace of the First High first year students." Lina tried to paint Miyuki as an enemy, but she wasn't sure it worked.

"Ah, so she's First High's response to you, huh?" Masaki commented.

"It's...unusual to show interest in a girl, Masaki," Lina said, testing Masaki's response.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you glancing at that tall, dark, handsome First High student all night," Masaki jabbed back. "The one who everyone seems to avoid."

"Wha-what?" Lina jumped in her skin. "I didn't know you noticed that!"

"I think everyone from our team probably noticed," Masaki said, "and were each in turn disappointed that they hadn't drawn your eye."

"If you keep this up, Masaki, I'll slap you so hard that they'll have a new reason to call you 'Crimson Prince,'" Lina said testily.

"Alright, alright," Masaki relented.

"You know, it's also not like you to be so jovial," Lina remarked. "I think that you might actually be interested in Shiba Miyuki."

"If you keep that up, Lina, I'll show you exactly why they do call me 'Crimson Prince.'"

"Alright, alright," Lina repeated. "Who's that girl that the boy is standing with, though?"

"Jealous, are we?"

"Masaki..."

"Right. That's Saegusa Mayumi, the ojou-sama of the Saegusa family," Ichijou replied. "She's the Student Council President of First High, and one of the unofficially-labelled Triumvirate: Watanabe Mari, Jumonji Katsuto, and Saegusa Mayumi. They're the three most powerful students at First High, though, according to you, Shiba Miyuki might outclass them."

"Wasn't there that rumor going around after that terrorist incident?" Lina asked. "You know, the one about First High's Student Council President vowing to avenge the student they lost."

"Yeah, and the next day, the police were called to an abandoned warehouse outside of the city," Masaki said. "Apparently, two unnamed First High students wiped out the entire terrorist base." They didn't get to finish their conversation as a man had just stepped up to the microphone that was on the stage.

"Uh..." he began. He obviously didn't know that the worst thing to do in public speaking was to say 'uh.' "At tonight's Nine Schools Competition banquet, we have a number of eminent guests in attendance. Let us now take this opportunity to receive some words of encouragement from the chairman of the Magic Association, Mr. Kudou Retsu."

"I hear he's the patriarch of the Ten Master Clans," Shizuku whispered to Miyuki, who had since joined the group.

"This is the first time that I've ever seen him in person," added Honoka.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight turned on a young woman standing at the microphone. Needless to say, Kudou Retsu was neither young nor a woman, so this created some confusion amongst the crowd. _Some kind of trouble?_ Tatsuya thought. _No, that's not it. It's Sensory Interference Magic,_ he thought, as he perceived Kudou Retsu standing behind the young woman.

"Where is Mr. Kudou?" asked someone at the table.

"He's standing behind the young woman, using Sensory Interference Magic," replied Tatsuya.

"Yes, that's correct," agreed Mayumi. She had apparently come to the same discovery. Tatsuya thought it was probable that Jumonji and Ichijou, being the other two present members of the Ten Master Clans, also saw through the trick; probably Angelina Kudou Shields as well, given her relationship to Kudou Retsu. Mayumi, meanwhile, quietly made a note to herself about how good Tatsuya's perception of the situation was. As Mayumi was thinking this, Kudou Retsu looked right at her, then at Tatsuya, and smiled before whispering in the young woman's ear. She then turned and left the stage, and the house lights came on, revealing Kudou Retsu in a rather dramatic fashion.

"First, let me apologize for making you a party to my prank," he began. "What you just saw was more sleight-of-hand than true magic. But as far as I could see, only five of you saw through it as a magic trick." Tatsuya was right in his estimate, or, at least, probably not wrong. "In other words," Kudou continued, "if I were a terrorist, and unleashed either poison or bombs upon you, only five of you would have been able to do anything to stop me." This elicited a gasp from the audience. "My young students of magic...magic is a means; magic is not in itself an end. The magic I used just now, while large in scale, was extremely low in potency. Yet you were deceived by this weak magic, and therefore failed to perceive my presence."

"You should never be remiss in your efforts to improve your magic skills," he continued. "That said, I'd like you to keep in mind that your efforts along won't be enough. Large-scale magic used erroneously is inferior to small-scale magic used creatively. My young students of magic, I look forward to seeing how creative you can be."

The audience gave a healthy round of applause to the tall man with white hair and pitch-black eyes. _The man who stands at the pinnacle of this country's magic society,_ thought Tatsuya. _So this is the Patriarch, huh?_

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Lina hesitated before knocking on the solid wooden door, but when she did, she was greeted with a hearty 'Come in'. She did, and she found her grandfather's brother, Kudou Retsu, sitting in a chair in his hotel room, reading a book about Taurus Silver and the workings of Flying Magic.

"Ahh, my young Angelina, it's so good to see you again!"

"You too..."

"Please, call me ojii-san! I'm definitely old enough, and that way, we can forget about trying to figure out our messy family tree."

"Okay, ojii-san! It's good to see you too."

"How is the USNA treating you? Or, rather, how is Japan treating you?"

"It's been wonderful so far, ojii-san. I really appreciate the strings you pulled to get me into the Monolith Code event."

"Anything for my litle angel. But there is one thing I have been meaning to ask you: why did you want to go to Third High School? Wouldn't First High School have been more appropriate, given its position at the top of the nine magic high schools?"

"Well, yes, but I didn't understand a word of Japanese when I read your email describing the schools, so I just picked one at random."

Retsu decided to ignore the fact that his email was in English.

"So, you go to Third High School, yet you stare at a First High School student all night?"

At this, Lina turned bright red.

"Not you too! Does everyone in the entire Magic Association know about that?"

"Ha ha, no, I don't think so. So tell me, do you know who he is?"

"No...no one I talked to knew him, so I wasn't able to get any information."

"His name is Shiba Tatsuya. He's a magic engineer from First High. Apparently he's a genius at CAD programming and the like, but he has an atrociously low Activation Speed."

"So he's a Course 2 student?"

"Indeed."

"That must be why almost no one from his own school associated with him."

"Indeed."

"Can I ask a favor of you, ojii-san? Will you please keep this to yourself, and not do anything to let him know about my...dinner activities?"

"I will, but if I may ask why?"

"I'm not going to be in Japan for much longer I expect, and I don't want to make any attachments that I'm going to have to break soon."

"A smart move. I'll keep your secret."

"Can I change the subject? I've heard a rumor since coming here about an 'Obsidian Demon' or something. They say he's the one who nuked that GAA fleet three years ago. What's that all about?"

"'Nuked' is such an American word. But I'm afraid I don't know anything about an 'Obsidian Demon.' Unless you're referring to these obsidian-black eyes of mine, of course."

"That's too bad." She decided to ignore the fact that he was lying.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Saegusa Mayumi was laying on the bed in her hotel room. She was taking this time to think about her relationship with Tatsuya - no, she was evaluating whether or not she _should_ be in a relationship with Tatsuya. For example, that car accident on the way to the competition site: Tatsuya had explicitly stated that it was not an accident, but rather a suicide attack, yet declined to state who was responsible, even though he indicated that he knew who the guilty party was. Aside from that, someone had used some advanced form of counter-magic to cancel the mess of spells that were surrounding the car in order to aid Jumonji and Miyuki. From what Mayumi saw, it resembled Gram Demolition, one of the best counter-magics available that unfortunately required an insanely high Psion count. _But it couldn't have been Gram Demolition_ , Mayumi thought, _because the user couldn't have been able to demolish the magic while the athletes' bus was in the way. After all, Gram Demolition is essentially just a 'bullet' of Psions that travel through the physical realm and destroy any magic sequence in their path..._ She paused for a second, the definition of Gram Demolition having triggered a sense of deja vu.

 _"When a submarine launches a torpedo, the waves in the ocean do not affect the torpedo because of its hydrodynamic design. The torpedo carries its payload to the target, where the payload is released."_

 _"Ah, so you're saying that beam of light was-"_

 _"-Theoretically-"_

 _"Yes, theoretically, it was a psion "torpedo" that carried your spell to its targets?"_

 _"I'm sure that such an application of magic is possible."_

Her recollection of her conversation with Tatsuya outside of the Blanche headquarters made Mayumi think that Tatsuya had been talking about Gram Demolition when he was describing a Psion torpedo. _The metaphor's a bit off,_ she thought, _but that fits if he was trying to conceal the fact that he was using Gram Demolition. If he can use Gram Demolition, that means his Psion count must be extraordinarily high...higher than mine, and higher than most of the Ten Master Clans', in fact._ It was imperative that she find out whether or not he could use Gram Demolition; that, however, did not solve the problem of the car accident.

The magic that was used to cancel spells then was decidedly not Gram Demolition...it was something else. Something stronger, something...more powerful. More of a threat. But the only counter-magic more powerful than Gram Demolition was Gram Dispersion, which was said to be impossible to cast because it required the knowledge of what spell the enemy was casting at the second that they casted it; yet Tatsuya had already displayed an ability similar to this during that first confrontation with Morisaki Shun. So it was not outside the realm of possibility that Tatsuya could also cast Gram Dispersion, which was a scary thought, considering who Tatsuya was. _Taurus Silver has the ability and the Psion count to cast the two most powerful counter-magic spells known, along with various other abilities that he was apparently born with,_ Mayumi thought. _He can fly, too! Just who is this guy?_

That was the very question which was giving Mayumi concern. She had developed feelings for Tatsuya; aside from whether or not the Saegusa family would permit a relationship in the first place, she did not want to get attached to someone who could hurt her. And unknown factors created the possibility for major emotional damage. She needed to find out more about him, despite his warning to leave such inquiries alone. A good place to start would be to observe him during the competition, she decided.

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Mikihiko was practicing his Ancient Magic in the garden behind the hotel when he detected something.

"Someone's there?" he said to himself before using spirits to analyze the situation. "Is this...evil intent? Those are no ordinary theves." He quickly started chasing after them, and determined their location - the other side of a large hedge that paralleled the perimeter of the hotel. _There are three thieves, then?,_ he thought to himself. He then proceeded to use an Ancient Magic spell to neutralize them. The thieves didn't even stand a chance. He jumped the hedge, but as he was examining the unconscious bodies of the three thieves, he detected one more person approaching. "Who's there?" he shouted.

"Mikihiko, it's me," said Tatsuya.

"Tatsuya?"


	11. NSC Part 4

**[Episode 11: Nine Schools Competition - Part 4]**

"Right, I'll be heading out now," Tatsuya said as he finished preparing the equipment for tomorrow's competitions. As he stepped out of the engineers' bus where he had been working, he felt that something was off. Using Elemental Sight, he was able to see three people running down the garden path...judging from the equipment they were boasting, they weren't military, which made them enemies. This conclusion was supported by the fact that a First High student was chasing them, preparing a spell. Upon closer inspection, Tatsuya saw that the student was, in fact, Yoshida Mikihiko, and that the spell he was readying would take out the three enemies. Tatsuya decided to join Mikihiko, just in case anything went wrong; nothing did, however, and Mikihiko's plan worked flawlessly. It wasn't until Mikihiko had apprehended the three criminals that he noticed Tatsuya standing behind him.

"Who's there?"

"Mikihiko, it's me," Tatsuya said.

"Tatsuya?"

"Not dead," Tatsuya said as he checked the pulses of the three unconscious men. "That was masterful! From a blind position, you neutralized your targets in one shot, without fatally wounding them. That's the best possible outcome."

"Thank you, Tatsuya. I've heard rumors about what you can do - and for you to say that...it means a lot to me."

"I understand, Mikihiko. These rumors...could you tell me about them? I'd like to know what people are saying about me behind my back."

"Someone said that you can heal the gravest of injuries; another mentioned that it was you who partnered with Mayumi to destroy those terrorists back in April, and Erika once said that you're quite the genius."

"If I were to tell you, with all possibly modesty, that every single one of those things were true, would you be interested in accepting a job from me?"

"I would, indeed."

"I'm expecting more suspicious occurances, like this attempted break-in, to occur over the course of the NSC. I'd like you to keep your eyes open, and tell me if you see anything suspicious. You should work together with Mizuki; her eyes and your magic make a great combination." It wasn't like Tatsuya to play matchmaker, but hey, desperate times. "Also, I'd like you to do so with no questions asked."

"That's fine with me. Do you have someplace for me to start, or would you like me to roam around and follow any trails I find?"

"If you could start by reporting this to Security, that would be fine. Other than that, I'll leave it to your discretion."

"Oh - of course, Tatsuya. I'll get right on that," Mikihiko said as he used an agility-enhancing spell to leap back over the hedge and run towards the security office.

"My, my, Tatsuya. Outsourcing now, are we?" This time it was Tatsuya's turn to be surprised by a voice from behind, though he wasn't surprised for long.

"He's a valuable asset, Major Kazama," Tatsuya replied as he saluted. "Even though he lacks the self-confidence and self-reflection that would give him better control over his powers, he knows how to get things done, and understands the importance of not asking questions. Those are probably the result of being raised in the Yoshida family."

"For someone so inclined to do things himself, that's unusual, Special Officer," Major Kazama said, returning Tatsuya's salute. "Did he strike some chord in you? After all, that boy does seem to share your inward struggles."

"I've already graduated from that level of struggles," Tatsuya replied.

"In other words, you remember what it was like, eh?" Kazama's quick analysis of Tatsuya's actions was accurate.

* * *

 **~August 3rd, 2095~**

"At last, the time has come to open the National Magic High School Goodwill Tournament of Magic Skills," the announcer said over the loudspeaker, "better known as the Nine Schools Competition. This year's tournament will follow the usual format, with five days each of official matches and rookie competitions, for a total of ten days. This year, all eyes will be on First High School - have they recovered from the terrorist attack in spring, and will that affect their performance in the competition? Will they get their third straight title, or will Third High School break that streak, in the same way that First High broke their streak two years ago?"

Tatsuya and his friends were watching the qualifying rounds for the Girls' Battle Board event, which was a combination of racing and surfing, with magic thrown in for an extra twist. One contestant from each school would participate in a three-lap race around a course that would be dangerous for regular surfers, including jumps over fifty feet high and many sharp and sudden turns. For the official girls' competition, First High's representative was Watanabe Mari, while the representative for the rookie girls' competition was Mitsui Honoka.

"Honoka, how are you doing physically?" Tatsuya asked as the racers were preparing. She would be competing later in the week, and it was imperative that she be in peak physical condition.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I've been training to build up my stamina, and I've also been getting more sleep."

"Honoka's getting quite muscular these days, you know!" Miyuki added.

"Come on, don't say it like that, Miyuki!" Honoka complained. "I'm not planning to turn into that kind of macho woman, okay?" At this, Tatsuya gave a brief chuckle. "See! Now even Tatsuya's laughing at me!"

"The only reason he laughed was because you chose a weird way to put it," explained Shizuku.

"Now you're joining in, Shizuku?" Honoka clearly felt betrayed. "Fine! I'm the odd one out, anyway. Unlike you two, I don't get to have Tatsuya watching my events."

"Well, but I will be doing the fine-tuning for you in Mirage Bat," Tatsuya interjected.

"But I can't ask you to take on my Battle Board match, right?" Honoka said. "Though Miyuki and Shizuku will have you for both their events."

"But I did take part in your practice sessions," Tatsuya replied, "and we came up with your battle plan together, so you're not being left out in any..."

"Tatsuya, that's not what Honoka is trying to tell you," Mizuki interrupted.

"Really, Tatsuya," Miyuki said, "I think you're being a bit too clueless."

"Oh, but you should have seen him yesterday with Mayumi!" cried Erika, before she realized what she had said would hurt Honoka. "Oh...wait...I mean...it's the one flaw you never knew Tatsuya had?" Even though Erika was trying to comfort Honoka, she still burst into tears. Helpless in the current situation, Tatsuya looked to Leo and Mikihiko for advice, but they both shrugged their shoulders as if to say _"I don't know what to do, that's never happened to me before, lucky!"_ Leo may have been displaying that attitude more that Mikihiko was, but the end result was the same. Fortunately, the entire situation was put to rest by the event's announcer.

"Welcome to the Official Girls' Battle Board event. The third match of the trials will begin shortly. Athletes, please take your positions," she said, before reading off a list of the participants.

"Huh! She's just as snotty as ever," Erika said as she watched Mari, partly to distract Honoka from her earlier blunder and partly to emphasize how much she disliked Mari.

"First High School, third year, Ms. Watanabe Mari," the announcer read. A large group of the First High students - excluding Tatsuya and his friends, as they were not into overt displays of school loyalty - burst into cheer at this remark. To silence them, Mari lifted her arm and gave the audience a couple waves.

"I see she has some devoted fans," Tatsuya commented.

"It's understandable," replied Miyuki. "After all, Ms. Watanabe is quite cool."

"On your mark..." the announcer said.

A blank round from a pistol was fired, indicating the start of the race. Magic circles and designs appeared below the contestants' surfboards as they leapt - or rather, surfed - into action. One of the contestants activated a spell and directed it behind her; a large plume of water erupted in the middle of the racers, leaving nearly everyone off balance at the beginning of the race.

"A self-destructing spell?" Erika observed as Mari emerged from the chaos, unharmed and in the lead.

"Most likely, she was trying to throw off the other contestants by creating a huge wave," Tatsuya replied.

"Hey, they're back in the game!" Leo said as the other racers started picking up speed. In response, Mari cast another spell and gained an even greater lead over the others.

"Applying Fortification Magic while multi-casting Movement Magic, huh?" Tatsuya mused.

"Fortifying magic?" asked Leo, who always perked up at any mention of Fortification Magic. "What is she fortifying?"

"She's anchoring her relative position to her board to keep from falling off," Tatsuya replied, before deciding to explain in more detail. "Fortifying Magic isn't a spell for strengthening a substance. It's a spell for anchoring the relative position of components, usually on the atomic level, to keep them from moving. You do understand that, don't you?"

"Well, yeah," Leo responded, "since I actually use it myself."

"Ms. Watanabe has made herself and her board a single object comprising one component," Tatsuya continued, "and with that spell, she's anchoring its relative position. And she's casting Movement Magic on herself and the board, as a single entity."

"Oh?"

"Still, that's an interesting application," Tatsuya remarked. "So she's also using Vibration Magic? Impressive. She's multi-casting three to four types of magic spells continuously. She's quite the strategist."

"No, she's just not a nice person," Erika replied.

"Well, we know who's coming in first," Leo said as Mari's lead became even more prolonged.

"Yeah," Tatsuya replied.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

The military officer escorting Tatsuya knocked on the door of the hotel room.

"Major Kazama, you have a guest."

"Come in."

"Excuse me," Tatsuya said as he entered the room.

"There you are," replied Major Kazama. "Hey, have a seat." Kazama and other officers were gathered around the dining table in Kazama's hotel room, with a spot left open for Tatsuya.

"No, I'm fine right here," Tatsuya replied, adhering to military discipline.

"Tatsuya, we didn't call you here today as Special Officer Ooguro Ryuuya, Strategic-class Magician," one of the officers said. "We invited you as our friend, Shiba Tatsuya. If you stand on ceremony with us, we won't know what to do."

"Captain Sanada..." Tatsuya said. "Very well. Excuse me." He bowed and took a seat.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Mayumi was wondering what she had just witnessed. Tatsuya had approached the one of the military clerks and had said something to him; whatever Tatsuya said caused the clerk to bow - in respect - and lead Tatsuya to an elevator, after which Mayumi lost track of him. She only knew what floor he was on, and that wasn't very specific. _What could Tatsuya have said to that man to inspire such respect?_ Mayumi wondered. _He wouldn't have revealed his identity as Taurus Silver to some random officer if he didn't voluntarily reveal it to a member of the Ten Master Clans...but what else could it be?_

* * *

 **~Major Kazama's Room~**

"Teacups don't really capture the spirit, but how about a toast?" The young woman who had just spoken while setting a teacup in front of Tatsuya was Fujibayashi Kyouko, the granddaughter of Kudou Retsu and cousin to Angelina Kudou Shields; nicknamed the "Electron Sorceress," she was a powerful magician in her own right. Most of the people in the room had some form of magical expertise, for that matter.

"About last night's incident," Major Kazama said after the tea had been poured, "there's no question that those intruders are with the No-Head Dragons, which I mentioned to you the other day."

"Are they targeting the NSC, as you suspected?" Tatsuya inquired.

"That's still being investigated," the Major replied. "I'll let you know when we find out."

"Please do," Tatsuya said.

"Still, I'm amazed that you happened to be right there on the spot," Kyouko commented. "Were you on the lookout for something?"

"I was taking a walk when I happened to sense their presence, that's all," Tatsuya responded.

"At such a late hour?" Kyouko was being persistent.

"Well, I'd been fine-tuning our CADs for the matches," Tatsuya explained.

"Your teammates..." one of the other officers said, "do they know about 'Silver'?"

"Saegusa Mayumi and Watanabe Mari are aware, Major Yamanaka," Tatsuya replied. "They were persistent in their digging, but after I warned them off, they stopped looking for information on me. My connection to this unit and certain other factions remains a secret."

"And I take it that's why they wanted you as an engineer?"

"Indeed, Ms. Fujibayashi," Tatsuya replied.

"That's to be expected," she said. "But did they want you to actually compete? With your Flash Cast skills, I think you'd do pretty well. Of course there's Material Burst, but you also have Mist Dispersion."

"Dispersing substances at the molecular level as you do with Mist Dispersion is a Rank A Destructive Spell," Captain Sanada interjected, "so he can't use it at the NSC."

"What's this, Captain Sanada?" Kyouko said. "Didn't you know? NSC restrictions are placed on events that might have antipersonnel-related repercussions. Speed Shooting and Ice Pillars Break are exempt."

"Either way," interrupted Major Kazama, "casting top secret military-grade magic in a public tournament isn't a good idea, is it now? Tatsuya..."

"I understand, Major," he replied. "However, it seems very unlikely that an engineer like myself would end up competing."

"That's a matter of mindset," the Major responded. "All I need to know is that you're on the same page."

"One more thing, Tatsuya," Kyouko said. "As I'm sure you know, my cousin is here as an exchange student from America. She is slated to compete in both Monolith Code and Ice Pillars Break, opposite your sister."

"At the same time, we've noticed increased STARS activity in Japan," Major Yamanaka added. "Specifically, unsanctioned activity has spiked five percent since Ms. Shields' arrival; that's a five percent increase in the total amount of unsanctioned activity. Meaning that before Ms. Shields came to Japan, we could not detect any STARS agents in the country."

"It might be just a coincidence," Kyouko said. "But considering my cousin's heritage and magic power, she might have been recruited by STARS to spy on Japanese magic society. I hate to think such a thing, but..."

"Ms. Fujibayahi," Tatsuya said, "do you know why I chose the name Taurus Silver?"

"Didn't you base it off of your initials, when written in English?"

"That's right," he replied. "'Tatsuya Shiba' became 'Taurus Silver'...it's not especially creative, but no one's made that connection thus far."

"What about Ms. Watanabe and Ms. Saegusa?" asked Major Yamanaka.

"They were alerted to my identity by my ownership of two Silver Horns," Tatsuya replied. "I think that they still haven't figured out how I chose my alias, but that doesn't matter right now. As I understand it, Ms. Fujibayashi is concerned that her cousin Angelina Kudou Shields might be involved in STARS. Tell me - what is the name of STARS' current commander?"

"Angie Sirius."

* * *

 **~Outside The Hotel Room~**

Mayumi had been searching the floor for a sign of Tatsuya, with no results. Suddenly, however, she heard the sound of a door opening down a nearby hall, along with the sound of voices, one of which she recognized as Tatsuya's. He was talking with a young woman, and what sounded like an older man - possibly a group of men. She managed to snap a picture of the woman from around the corner, but then she had to retreat as Tatsuya started walking in her direction. _I'll send this to Mari, and have her forward it to Chiba Naotsugu later,_ thought Mayumi. _Who was..._ her thoughts were interrupted as she looked up and saw Tatsuya standing in front of her. He had the same serious look on his face as he always did, but Mayumi sensed special concern attached to this expression.

"Mayumi, I understand that Mt. Fuji is a deluxe vacation spot, but wouldn't it be better to take pictures outside rather than inside?" His astute observation of her actions caused Mayumi to blush; she had been caught red-handed.

"I-I-I was just testing it out, Tatsuya! Besides, how funny is it that we ran into each other up here..."

"You could have just as easily 'tested it out' in the lobby of the hotel, Mayumi." He didn't fall for her misdirection.

"Ehh?" This made her even more embarassed; the fact that Tatsuya knew she had followed him from the front desk. _How did he know...?_ she thought to herself.

"Either way, it would be best to delete any useless photos, wouldn't it?" he said. While this was phrased like a suggestion, it sounded more like a command, or even a threat.

"I...like...photos of hotels. They help me...design...things...?" As an excuse, hers was not up to par.

"Mayumi," he said, taking her by the shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes, "Trust me when I say that you should delete that picture." She was caught in a trance for a moment, looking into his eyes, before she regained her senses.

"No, Tatsuya! I told you, I like photos of hotels. Besides, it's my camera, and I can handle myself. I'm a really strong magician, you know. And I want to know - no, I need to know - if you're someone I can trust, or if you're someone who will break my heart, and since you won't tell me anything about yourself, you leave me no choice."

"I understand, Mayumi," he said, "and I'm sorry."

"You are?" she almost couldn't believe her ears. Was Tatsuya about to explain himself because of her emotional outburst? ...if so, then perhaps she should do that more often, despite the inherent impoliteness of such an act.

"I am, indeed, deeply sorry for this," he reaffirmed, before slicing his hand through the air. A beam of blue light went through the camera, and it exploded into its various individual components.

"Tatsuya...!" Mayumi was shocked that he would, that he could, do such a thing. "...that was my phone, Tatsuya! What did you do to my phone?!"

"I really am sorry, Mayumi, but as you yourself said, you left me no choice."

"If that's how it's going to be, then fine!" she said as she stormed off. "I now know which kind of person you are!"

 _What's going on with her?_ Tatsuya wondered. _The other day she was happy and wanted to talk with me, but today she's angry._ He thought about this for awhile, before coming to the conclusion that she must have been under a lot of stress and/or pressure from her family, and had been taking it out on him. Still, that doesn't explain the attempted espionage...

 _"Really, Tatsuya, I think you're being a little too clueless."_ Miyuki's words rang in Tatsuya's ear as he was pondering Mayumi's outburst. She had said something about breaking his heart...no, him breaking her heart. _Did I say something to make her suspicious of me?_ Tatsuya thought. _That's too broad of a question; many of the things I've said should have made her suspicious of me. Maybe this wasn't about me...maybe this was about Mayumi trying to make sense of...well, me. I have to make it up to her somehow,_ he resolved.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Mayumi had the unfortunate luck of having to compete that same day in the Speed Shooting qualifying rounds, which could easily be stressful in and of themselves, due to the high speed and accuracy required demanded from the atheletes; this was only compounded by the emotional turmoil Mayumi was experiencing. As she was walking out to the competition area, she was glancing at the crowd. In her mind she wasn't looking for anyone in particular, though subconsciously she was looking to see if Tatsuya was in the audience. And he was. With Miyuki, of course. And Chiba Erika...that brat. And a whole host of Tatsuya's other friends; some she had met, some she hadn't. As soon as she saw this, she turned an indignant shoulder to the crowd and stepped up to the platform where she was to stand for the competition. _I'll show him,_ she thought. _I'll show him that I'm a very capable magician. I've done this a hundred times before, and I've achieved a perfect score every single time. I could do this in my-"_

The warning buzzer sounded. Mayumi put her thoughts aside - or so she thought - and shouldered her rifle-shaped specialized CAD. The countdown began...and then the green light turned on, accompanied by a buzzer of its own. The competition began. Within a second, the sky was filled with flying discs - clay pidgeons, they were called, and they were most commonly used for shotgun target practice or competitions. Over the one minute of competition time, one hundred clay pidgeons would be shot across the target zone, the ultimate goal being to destroy each one with magic. Harder versions of this sport, like the one Mayumi was competing in, had two contestants compete against one another using different-colored clay pidgeons, requiring the contestants to destroy only their own color of disc.

Mayumi was off to a good start. She already had thirty marks by the time her opposition had ten...but then she missed one. Her opponent was firing at a much slower rate, but she didn't miss; then again, the rate of accuracy wasn't a factor in this competition, so it didn't particularly matter. Mayumi was able to shoot another thirty before missing again; _I'll bet this is Tatsuya's fault,_ she thought as she missed yet another clay pidgeon. By the end of the competition, Mayumi had a score of 94, with a total of six missed discs. Her opponent had a paltry score of thirty, and the victory easily went to Mayumi. Though she was glad that this was only a preliminary round and not the final, Mayumi was still upset with herself for missing six times. _I haven't done this poorly in Speed Shooting since my training round for my very first Nine Schools Competition two years ago,_ she thought angrily. _This was all Tatsuya's fault!_

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

The Student Council was gathered in Mayumi's room for a celebratory cup of tea, which was going splendidly until Azusa made the mistake of asking Mayumi about why she missed some in Speed Shooting. That set Mayumi off on a rant about Tatsuya that lasted for quite a while; Mari was desparately trying to silence Mayumi before she said something that would alert Azusa and Suzune to Tatsuya's identity, considering Azusa's big mouth and Tatsuya's warnings against doing so. Suffice it to say, Azusa and Suzune were confused about the whole situation in general.

"...and then he used his stupid Ninjutsu magic to destroy my phone. My favorite phone, too!"

"But, Chairwoman, Tatsuya's not the kind of person to just randomly destroy a phone..."

"I don't care! He did it! Just go ask him yourself, A-chan, and he'll tell you."

"Chairwoman, if Mr. Shiba were to do such a thing, he must have had good reason..."

"Rin-chan. If he needed my phone destroyed, for any reason, the least he could have done was ask beforehand! Maybe there was another solution that he didn't think of!"

"Now, now, Mayumi. Don't get too heated over Tatsuya. You still have competitions to win."

"Fine, Mari. Just because First High's honor is on the line."

During all of this, Miyuki was awkwardly sitting off to the side, trying to avoid saying anything that could get her roped into the discussion. She did not want to have to try to defend her brother when she clearly didn't have all of the facts; she didn't even want to try to defend her brother at all, not when Mayumi was in such a state. Eventually, Mayumi became tired from her rant, and left to use the restroom.

"Mari, we need to get them to reconcile. I can't stand another minute of this, let alone a week."

"I wholeheartedly agree, Suzune. What events does Tatsuya have tomorrow?"

"He's free for the next two days."

"That's handy. Now we need to find some way to get him to work Mayumi's crowd ball event tomorrow."

"I know that Hanzo would like to tweak his CAD with Kinoshita from the technical staff tomorrow."

"Good thinking, Suzune! All right, Miyuki, will you let Tatsuya know?"

"Hai!"

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"So, what did you find on Shiba Miyuki?"

"Absolutely nothing, Angie. We couldn't find anything, from relatives, to an address, even to what school she attended before First High."

"That's impossible. She has to live somewhere. She's not a ghost."

"I was nearly caught just accessing her school records, Sirius. It is possible."

"What did her school records show?"

"She has a brother. Nothing special about him - he just barely passed the entrance exam, though he got a perfect score on the written portion of the test. School therapist's notes indicate that he wants to become a magic engineer. Other than that, I got nothing from the school records, at least nothing that you didn't already know."

"Sylvia, I think that this 'Shiba Miyuki' might be the undisclosed Strategic-class magician from that Okinawa incident, judging purely from the high level of secrecy surrounding her...not to mention her insanely high activation speed."

"But intelligence says that the magician you're looking for is male."

"I know, and I can definitely say that it's not Ichijou Masaki. But unless I find out who it actually is, Ichijou will be targeted."

"You want to frame this 'Shiba Miyuki,' don't you?"

"Aside from the fact that she's basically a walking secret, her level of magic power makes her a potential threat to the USNA."

"Don't try to justify this course of action, Angelina. Will you just give up the search if Shiba is framed?"

"Well, no..."

"You'd have to, otherwise you'd alert STARS that you lied."

"Then in that case, Sylvia, yes, I would give up searching for the Strategic-class magician."

"But that would leave the USNA vulnerable to attack from this unnamed superweapon, since they presume him to be dead when in fact he is not."

"But Sylvia...!"

"No buts, Angie. You didn't think this through before deciding on this course of action. You didn't even consider other solutions, such as ACTUALLY FINDING THE MAGICIAN. I daresay that would work ten times better than framing some innocent high school girl."

"Fine. But if I sense anything while battle Shiba Miyuki in Monolith Code, I want her investigated. Fully. No holds barred."

"Now that's a plan. But first, we should go over what we _do_ know about the mystery magician."

"Hai."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

"Is that why you came here so late at night?" Miyuki had just explained the Student Council's request to Tatsuya. Needless to say, he seemed kind of irritated.

"Oh, I'm so sorry if I'm inconveniencing you," Miyuki said sarcastically.

"No...it's not that," Tatsuya said with a chuckle. "It's just...is this a request from the Student Council or from the Chairwoman?"

"The Chairwoman is not aware of the details," Miyuki replied with a smirk. "She just knows that Kinoshita has been called away tomorrow, but that the Student Council has already found a replacement."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What do you mean, Tatsuya?"

"Well," he began, "are you sure this won't just make her even more mad at me?"

"Yes, I am," replied Miyuki. "As a matter of fact, just what did you do to enrage her so? Please tell me she didn't confess her love for you, but your serious face rebuffed her?"

"Nothing like that, Miyuki," Tatsuya replied. "If that was the case, I very well might not be alive right now. No, I caught her spying on me. She took a picture of me with Ms. Fujibayashi on her phone."

"Oh no..." said Miyuki, no longer feeling playful.

"I suggested that she delete the picture, but she was insistent."

"Tatsuya, you didn't..."

"I had no choice, Miyuki," said Tatsuya gravely. "When she wouldn't delete the picture, I just destroyed the phone."

"I can see why she would be mad, Tatsuya," said Miyuki, "but I can also understand why you did that. Our aunt-"

"Ahem."

"- _my_ aunt wouldn't like it if your connection to the military was discovered," Miyuki said. "I can't imagine the military would be too happy, either."

"So you see-"

"But I do think there might have been a better way to resolve the situation, Tatsuya!" Miyuki said. "Ms. Fujibayashi is the Electron Sorceress, with the power to hack into nearly any system undetected. She could have easily just replaced - or deleted - the photo."

"But who is to say that the photo would not have spread during the time it took for me to contact Ms. Fujibayashi?" Tatsuya argued. "Mayumi could have sent it to Mari, who could have sent it to her Chiba boyfriend, who would probably recognize Ms. Fujibayashi. Someone from the Saegusa family probably could have recognized her, no less!"

"Really, Tatsuya..." Miyuki seemed annoyed with her brother. "Ms. Fujibayashi was standing maybe fifty feet behind you...she wasn't that far away."

"Either way," Tatsuya continued, "the point is moot. What's done is done. Our secrets are safe, and Mayumi is kept out of danger."

"So..." Miyuki said with a twinkle in her eye, "are you saying that one of your priorities was to keep 'Mayumi' safe?"

"Miyuki, please don't become Erika," Tatsuya said. "It's hard enough to shrug off her teases without you helping her."

"Fine, Tatsuya," Miyuki relented. "But we've strayed from the original question. Will you work on the Chairwoman's CAD tomorrow?"

"Miyuki..."

"If you don't want to do it to patch your relationship with Ms. Saegusa," Miyuki said, "then do it for the sake of the Student Council. Ms. Watanabe is fed up with trying to control Ms. Saegusa's outbursts out of fear that the Chairwoman might accidentally reveal something."

"Fine," said Tatsuya. "Now, since that's done, I'll walk you back to your room.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine on my own," Miyuki replied. "I can't trouble you any more than I already have...besides, the only girl you should escort to her room is 'Mayumi!'" Miyuki was having too much fun teasing her brother.

"I may have been in the middle of something," Tatsuya said, ignoring Miyuki's teasing, "but I was just fooling around, so don't worry about it. Besides, you've been here so long already, there's nothing more you could do to distract me from it."

"Okay," Miyuki said before looking at the screen behind Tatsuya. "Isn't that a CAD program?"

"It's got nothing to do with the NSC," Tatsuya said. "Plus, the program itself is pretty much a toy."

"A toy?"

"That's right. We'd better get going to your room now, otherwise we'll just keep talking and never get any sleep."

"Okay," replied Miyuki. "You know, it's nice to be able to talk to you like this."

"It is very nice," said Tatsuya. "And to think, just a month ago, you were ashamed to be around me."

"I still am, you know," Miyuki deadpanned. "I mean, it's a natural side effect: you're too clueless and always stumble into embarassing situations; how could I not feel ashamed?"

Tatsuya looked at her and blinked.

"Just kidding!" she said. "Mostly, whenever you do that, I just feel annoyed that I have to educate you in the ways of women. Again. And again. And again and again and again..."

"Well, in that sense, we're just like a regular brother and sister."

"Yes...isn't that a novel concept?"

* * *

 **~August 4th, 2095~**

Mayumi's Crowd Ball qualification match would be taking place in about an hour. Tatsuya had arrived early to calibrate her CAD, with the intent of hopefully finishing before she arrived. Just in case she did show up, however, he had used a small portion of the large Yotsuba fortune to buy a top-of-the-line phone as a gift for Mayumi. _It's the only thing I can do to make reparations,_ he thought, _as I can't tell her the truth._ Unfortunately for Tatsuya - or fortunately, depending on the perspective - he wasn't finished by the time Mayumi arrived to begin warming up.

"Tatsuya, what are you doing here?"

"The Student Council asked me to fine-tune your CAD before your Crowd Ball qualification match."

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go kill Mari."

"Mayu-" Her sharp gaze stopped him from using her name. "Chairwoman, I have something for you," Tatsuya said, pulling the phone out of his pocket. It was in a white box with green and black ribbon - First High's colors. Carefully, Mayumi took the box and opened it. She narrowed her eyes when she saw what was inside.

"This model hasn't been released yet. How'd you get it?"

"I have connections."

"What connections?"

Tatsuya didn't answer. He couldn't.

"Were you even listening to me yesterday, Tatsuya?" For some reason, the phone seemed to make Mayumi angry. "I'm not mad because you broke my phone, even though that was extremely rude and inconviencing. I'm mad because I don't know anything about you, and you never talk about yourself."

"I understood that perfectly, Chairwoman," Tatsuya said. "It was my intent to make reparations, but since I cannot answer your questions, the most I could do was replace your phone."

"How considerate of you," Mayumi said coldly.

"Look, Chairwoman-"

"Mayumi is fine," she interrupted. _Progress_.

"Mayumi, I promised you that I would answer your questions as soon as I could," Tatsuya said. "But I also warned you of what the effects of looking into my identity could be, and I know you understood the risks."

"I am the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan, Tatsuya," Mayumi said. "I can handle myself pretty well in a fight, for your information."

"Mayumi," Tatsuya said, "the request that I made of you that day, and the one I made yesterday - they were not out of concern for my own safety." Tatsuya didn't say anything after that; he let the implication sink in.

"I, too, understand perfectly, Tatsuya," Mayumi replied. "But as we've been talking - which I have enjoyed immensely, I do admit - I've also been thinking. First of all, my family would not approve of a relationship with someone who is not from the Ten Master Clans. Second, I am not going to put myself in a position where my heart could be easily broken because I do not know who someone is; I'm smarter than that. So aside from our...familial differences...I still don't think there's much of a future for us if I can't trust you. Yesterday's incident just opened my eyes to that fact, Tatsuya."

"What does this mean, Mayumi?"

"I will always have your back, Tatsuya - as I do with every student of First High - and I hope you'll have my back," Mayumi replied. "But I don't think we should meet up on the side anymore."

"Very well," said Tatsuya. "Does this mean that you will never look into my affairs again?"

"Yes, you insensitive fool, it does," Mayumi said with a sigh.

"Then you are safe," Tatsuya replied, "and that's all I can ask for."

"Tatsuya..."

"Good luck with your Crowd Ball match, Chairwoman," Tatsuya said with a bow. "It's a shame I can't attend the round, but there are other duties which the Student Council has assigned me, so..."

"I understand, Tatsuya," said Mayumi. "Do your best - we're counting on you, Shiba Tatsuya!"

...Mayumi easily won the Crowd Ball match.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Tatsuya was watching Chiyoda Kanon's Ice Pillars Break competition from a special viewing box with Isori Kei, Shizuku, and Miyuki. Ice Pillars Break was a contest to see who could decimate their opponents' field of ice pillars - large, rectangular blocks of ice - first while protecting their own field from such decimation. Each field consited of twelve pillars arranged in a three by four grid, positioned so that the athletes stood on raised platforms behind their own field and in between the second and third columns of the field. Like Monolith Code, Ice Pillars Break was a crowd favorite because it was a great display of a student's magic power, though the reason it returned year after year at the NSC was not because of its popularity: the competition staff loved it, as it had the easiest cleanup of any event. The debris was simply water.

"How's Ms. chiyoda's condition?" asked Tatsuya as Kanon reached the top of the podium on which she stood.

"She's pretty pumped up," Kei replied.

"I hear she won the first round with the shortest time," said Tatsuya.

"Well, you know Kanon's personality," replied Kei.

"It's starting," interjected Shizuku.

"Landmine Source," Tatsuya observed as Kanon cast her first spell.

"That's right," affirmed Kei. "The Chiyoda family is known to be skilled in Long-range Solid Matter Vibration Type Magic, and especially in spells that cause the earth to vibrate." Two of the enemy's pillars cracked and fell to pieces.

"It looks like she bolstered her defenses, but she can't handle Ms. Chiyoda's attacks," commented Shizuku as another pillar cracked and tumbled down. Two more fell after that, and then even more; when the girl opposite Kanon was down to only four pillars, she changed tactics and began attacking Kanon instead of defending her remaining pillars. This startled Miyuki and Shizuku, while Tatsuya only noticed it as a casual observation.

"It looks like her opponent has switched to an offense-first strategy, but..." Tatsuya did not need to finish the sentence. Kanon's victory was becoming ever so sure as he spoke.

"Either she's really decisive," said Kei, "or her methods are slipshod... Take them out before you get taken out yourself. That's Kanon for you." At that moment, Kanon obliterated her opponent's last remaining ice pillar, winning the round.

"Well, no," disagreed Tatsuya. "As a strategy, I don't think it's wrong."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

After her victory in Ice Pillars Break, Kanon, Kei, Tatsuya and Shizuku went to First High's command tents, stationed in a field just outside of the competition area. These tents, of which each school had one, served as the command center for each school's team during the day, as they were in a location central to each event. When they entered, they saw a group of students huddled over a laptop, including Ichihara Suzune.

"What's going on?" asked Kei.

"Since the Boys' Crowd Ball results weren't what we hoped for, we've been recalculating our projections for winning the overall title," replied Suzune.

"Considering our current lead, if we win the Official Girls' Battle Board, Boys' Ice Pillars Break, Mirage Bat and Monolith Code events, it should be safely within our reach," a student said.

"In other words, of the six remaining official matches, we have to win at least four of them?" asked Tatsuya.

"They may only be worth half the points," answered Suzune, "but it looks like our results in the rookie matches will sway our chances for the overall title."

* * *

 **~That Evening~**

"Who knew that he'd build it and send it over in half a day?" Tatsuya said to himself as he examined the sleek black case in front of him. Just then, he heard a knock at the door.

"Tatsuya, would it be all right if I came in?" Miyuki said through the door.

"Come on in," Tatsuya replied.

"Excuse me," Miyuki said, opening the door halfway. To any ordinary viewer, it would appear that Miyuki was trying to hide something; Tatsuya, however, was no ordinary viewer thanks to Elemental Sight. He fully expected and was not surprised by what came next: Miyuki opened the door fully, and his friends followed her into the room.

"We've come over to play!" said Erika.

"Excuse me!" said Mizuki, which was promptly mirrored by Shizuku and Honoka.

"Hey, coming in!" said Leo.

"Excuse me," said Mikihiko.

"Miyuki dragged me into this," said the blushing Mayumi as she entered the room.

"Tatsuya, is this a Weaponized Integrated CAD, by any chance?" Erika, who had been one of the first in the room, was looking at the object inside the black case. At the mention of a Weaponized Integrated CAD, or simply a CAD that was built into a weapon, the entire room's interest was piqued.

"Correct," replied Tatsuya.

"Is that the toy you mentioned?" whispered Miyuki.

"Yeah," Tatsuya whispered back before going over the case and closing it. "Leo!" he said, throwing the case to his friend.

"Whoa!" Leo said as he caught it. "Tatsuya, look out, will you?"

"Don't you want to try it out?" he replied.

"Who, me?" Leo was suddenly interested.

"That's right," Tatsuya said. "I think it would be up your alley."

"I'm game..." Leo said after opening the case. "Sure, I'll be your guinea pig."


	12. NSC Part 5

**[Episode 12: Nine Schools Competition - Part 5]**

"All right, ready to start?" asked Tatsuya. He, Leo, Mayumi, and Erika had left Tatsuya's room and had gone to the military training area behind the hotel; Mayumi had joined them because she was interested in the CAD that Tatsuya had built, and Erika tagged along because _"I want to see how that idiot will break your toy, Tatsuya!"_ Tatsuya secretly suspected, however, that Erika's real purpose for coming was to tease him and Mayumi.

"Roger!" said Leo. "Here goes!" He held the Weaponized Integrated CAD in front of him, like a sword - convienient, since it was, in fact, a sword - and pressed the trigget built into the hilt. Red light travelled up the blade of the sword as the built-in spell activated. Immediately the upper half of the sword separated from its lower counterpart and hovered a few feet above where it had previously been, eliciting excited gasps from Mayumi and Erika. "It's really floating up there!" Leo said ecstaticly. "This is so cool!" He swung the sword a few times to get a feel for it.

"3...2...1..." Tatsuya said. "Zero."

"Whoa!" said Leo as the sword returned to its 'collapsed' state. "I'd totally call that a success, Tatsuya! So Fortifying Magic works even when it's not physically connected..."

"Fortifying Magic is defined by how it stabilizes relative positions," Tatsuya said to Mayumi and Erika, who had been in a form of shock up until now, having never seen such an application of magic before. "There's no need for objects to be in contact. The way this device works is probably more like "extending" than "flinging out." Since there's nothing in the middle, it will only move along the extended length of the sword - in other words, the motion of the separated piece is directly controlled by the motion of the hilt. There's no whiplash effect."

"It feels the same as if I were swinging a really long sword," Leo added. "That helps because it keeps me from over-thinking."

"And if you over-think this sword," Erika said, having returned from her stupor, "you'll end up hitting some poor little child with it or something, is that what you're trying to say?"

"Ms. Chiba!" Mayumi said, her ojou-sama instincts kicking in. "That is not a polite thing to say!"

"So what would be polite, Mayumi?" Erika was insistent on calling her by her first name. "Maybe we should talk about Tatsuya, instead?"

"There's...no need..." stuttered Mayumi. "Anyway, Tatsuya," she said, trying to escape Erika, "you said this was a toy of sorts?"

"Indeed, Chairwoman," he replied. "I got the idea from watching Ms. Watanabe's battle board match the other day. She used Fortifying Magic to balance herself, which got me thinking on different ways to apply Fortifying Magic."

"How interesting!" said Mayumi, looking desperate to keep the topic of conversation off of her and Tatsuya's non-existent relationship. "So, if this is just a toy to you, what's a real weapon that you've built?"

"I can't say, Chairwoman," Tatsuya said, and suddenly the importance of what they were discussing - openly, with two people who knew nothing of Taurus Silver - dawned on Mayumi.

"I'm just teasing, Tatsuya," Mayumi said, indicating her acknowledgement of the situation. Whether or not she wanted to know what Tatsuya's answer would have been, she understood the importance of keeping Leo and Erika safe. "I don't expect any high school student to have designed magic weapons!"

"It's nice how you casually tease him like that, Mayumi," Erika said with a mischievious grin. "It truly shows how close you two are." This horrified Mayumi, who had been trying to shift the conversation away from such a topic.

"By that logic, Erika," Tatsuya intervened, "you must have fallen head-over-heels for Leo." Mayumi couldn't help but marvel - with one sentence, he had both shut down and rebuffed Erika's annoying jests. Erika, however, was irate...but she was also blushing.

"Hey, Tatsuya, leave me out of this," Leo said with a similar blush.

"All right, Leo," Tatsuya said. "In that case, the next step is a live test." He pressed a button on the tablet he was holding.

"What?" Leo wasn't sure he had heard that right, but then a handful of straw dummies were brought up to the training area from their underground storage, and promptly rushed at Leo along tracks in the ground. He extended the blade and promptly destroyed them; Tatsuya brought up more dummies, and Leo rushed them with his sword extended. He was having too much fun.

Just then, Tatsuya got a call on his phone. Mayumi watched him answer, then excuse himself and head back to the hotel, reminding Leo to leave the sword in Tatsuya's hotel room.

* * *

 **~August 5th, 2095~**

Tatsuya, Mikihiko, Mizuki, Miyuki, Leo and Erika were waiting for the Battle Board semifinal to start. This year, Mari's main competitor would be Kuroki Risa, the runner-up from last year's Battle Board competition and the representative from Seventh High.

"On your marks..."

The pistol was fired, and the race began. Mari led the race, with Kuroki predictably in second; the third and final racer was not fast enough to be considered competition. Mari tried shaking Kuroki, but to no avail.

"Just as I thought," said Tatsuya. "She's tough."

"Gotta hand it to 'Seventh High of the Seas!'" said Erika, referencing Seventh High's unofficial nickname among the Battle Board contestants.

"This is the same matchup as last year's final, right?" asked Mizuki.

Suddenly, Tatsuya sensed something wrong. Kuroki wasn't slowing down, and he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Over-acceleration?" exclaimed Erika. Tatsuya, meanwhile, saw the danger in the situation, as Kuroki was on a collision course with Mari. Kuroki lost control of her board, and it went flying off to the side, while Kuroki herself was flying through the air at Mari. Mari saw this and made a decision based on instinct. She raised her CAD to cast a Deceleration Spell on Kuroki; the spell was successful, and Mari caught Kuroki, preventing her from obtaining any serious injuries. Doing so slowed Mari down considerably, however, and she dropped to second place as the third racer seized first place. Having a good grasp on her priorities, Mari surfed over to the exit of the course, holding Kuroki Risa.

"Why...did you...do that?" asked Kuroki, still in shock from her experience.

"I'm too proud to win at the physical expense of my competition," Mari replied. "What does it say about me if I win against a handicapped person?"

"But...you're...going to...forfeit the race!" cried Kuroki.

"The only real value these competitions have is to increase the reputation of the associated schools," Mari said. "Which increases First High's reputation more: winning the race, or helping the injured person in spite of them being your enemy?"

By this time, they had reached the exit from the Battle Board course. Mari jumped off her board and onto the platform, forfeiting the race in the process, before handing Kuroki off to emergency medical services. They would take her to the nearby hospital on the Susono military base, where Kuroki would be examined and treated for shock.

* * *

 **~The Previous Night~**

Tatsuya had received a call from Mikihiko while testing the CAD with Leo.

"Tatsuya, I've been keeping an eye on things, as you said..."

"And?"

"Well, I was in your room with Mizuki, and she said that she saw a strange light travelling to the Battle Board arena."

"Did she have her glasses on?"

"No, she didn't, which is what made me suspicious. She pointed out to me the path that the light took, and when I traced it onto a map, I saw that it was travelling along a ley line."

"Those are important to Spirit Magic, correct?"

"Yes, they can be used for spirits to travel long distances. The point is, I think someone used a ley line to send a spirit to the Battle Board arena."

"Where are you now?"

"We're still in your room. Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku went to the artificial hot spring in the basement of the hotel, but we stayed behind to investigate."

"Go to security, and tell them what you just told me. I'll meet you there."

With that, Tatsuya excused himself and went to find Major Kazama. With the Major's permission, Tatsuya entered the Battle Board arena and traced the ley line to a corner of the course...the first turn, in fact, and using Elemental Sight, he quickly identified the spirit. Its purpose was to create a dip in the water, probably to throw off one of the racers in the next day's Battle Board semifinals. Tatsuya quickly used Gram Demolition to put an end to the spirit. He then asked Mizuki to stay up all night, looking for any more signs of interference, and provided her with several expressos to help keep her awake. Mikihiko volunteered to remain awake as well, which was an offer that Mizuki accepted. Thus, by the time of Watanabe Mari's forfeiture, both Mizuki and Mikihiko had been awake for more than twenty four hours straight, and were running purely on caffeine and sugar; but they were able to guarantee that no more spirits had been sent to the Battle Board arena through ley lines.

* * *

 **~The Evening of August 5th~**

Kuroki had been resting in the Susono Base hospital when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in."

Kuroki was shocked to have Saegusa Mayumi and Watanabe Mari, her 'enemies,' visiting her - though it was natural in Watanabe's case, considering that Watanabe was the one who had saved her.

"Good evening, Ms. Kuroki," said Mayumi. "I don't think we've ever been introduced. I'm Saegusa Mayumi, Student Council President of First High School, and I'm sure you already know our Disciplinary Committee Chairwoman."

"What-hey, Mayumi, that's not a nice way to introduce me!" said Mari as Mayumi laughed softly. "Anyway," Mari said, taking the reins, "we came here to offer our condolences, and to ask you some questions."

"Thank you, Ms. Saegusa, Ms. Watanabe."

"Oh, please, Mayumi is fine," Mayumi said.

"Yes, and you can call me Mari," Mari added.

"Well, in that case, please call me Risa," said Kuroki. "Ms. Saegusa...Mayumi, are the rumors about you true?"

"Rumors?" Mayumi asked, blushing. "What rumors?"

"They say that after First High was attacked last spring, you vowed to get revenge for the students who died," Risa explained. "And then later, there were reports that two First High students completely wiped out the terrorists."

"I..." Mayumi didn't know what to say. "It wasn't vengeance, we were merely avenging a fallen student...I can see where people would get confused, though. Revenge versus avenge. But other than that...I guess those rumors are true..."

"That's fine, I don't really care," Risa said. "I just want to know...what could the person who did all of that want with me?"

"Hey, hey," Mayumi said apprehensively, "I'm not a scary person, really!"

"...tell that to Tatsuya..." Mari muttered with a grin.

"Hey, Mari! Why did you bring that guy's name up now?" Mari's comment had obviously provoked Mayumi. "But anyway, we just wanted to know if anything weird was happening with your CAD when you over-accelerated."

"Yeah," said Mari, "having raced you, I know that you're better than that. You would never make such a rookie mistake."

"That's what I'd like to believe," said Risa, "but honestly? I don't know. I thought I had selected my deceleration spell, but I must have pressed the wrong button."

"Our expert thinks that your CAD was tampered with," Mayumi said bluntly. "He thinks that your deceleration spell's activation sequence was replaced with the activation sequence for an acceleration spell, which is what caused you to over accelerate."

"Why does your expert think that?" asked Risa.

"He wouldn't tell me," said Mayumi, frustrated, "but I trust his judgement. He's very smart, and can often tell what is truly happening at a glance." She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Me? Trust Tatsuya? Our whole argument was about how I couldn't trust him...oh well.

"If that is true, please let me know when you find out," said Risa. "Otherwise, I will be accepting the responsibility for my school's failure in that competition."

"I understand, Risa," said Mari. "I'm glad you're not hurt, even if it means we might be competing again sometime in the future."

"Thanks, Mari," Risa said. "And thank you so much for saving me...I should have said it sooner, but there really is no way to repay you for what you did for me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Mari. "Well, if that's all, I guess we'll be off now."

"Yes," said Mayumi. "Bye, Ku-chan!" Kuroki winced as Mayumi created a permanent nickname for her.

* * *

 **~Later That Evening~**

"What's your opinion, Mikihiko?" Tatsuya and Mikihiko were discussing Kuroki's accident in relation to their findings the previous night.

"I'm no expert, but the spot where Ms. Kuroki and Ms. Watanabe collided looks to be the exact same spot where the spirit was lying in wait to cause a disturbance in the water."

"My thoughts exactly." Upon hearing a knock at the door, Tatsuya called for the person to enter, and Mayumi came into Tatsuya's hotel room.

"Tatsuya, why was I 'summoned' to your hotel room? This isn't some attempt...oh, you're not alone." Mayumi blushed slightly upon realizing that a third party was with them.

"Mayumi, I think you two have met before, but this is Yoshida Mikihiko," Tatsuya said.

"It's a pleasure, Ms. Saegusa," Mikihiko said with a smile.

"Indeed, Mr. Yoshida. Please forgive my unseemly comments..."

"What comments?" Mikihiko joked, to which Mayumi smiled.

"Mayumi, I'm sure there's a question related to Ms. Kuroki's accident that you want to ask," Tatsuya said, which caught Mayumi off guard.

"Yes..." she said cautiously. "Why do you think that something was wrong with Ku-chan's CAD?"

"On the night that we arrived here, Mikihiko apprehended a gang of thieves who were attempting to break in." Tatsuya said this without any emotion, so it caught Mayumi off-guard.

"Wait, what? Why wasn't I informed of this, Tatsuya?"

"The point is that I asked Mikihiko to keep his eyes open for similar suspicious activities, and last night, he called me with information on such an activity."

"Answer the question, Tatsuya," Mayumi said. She wasn't happy that Tatsuya was ignoring her.

"We found out that someone had used Spirit Magic and ley lines to infiltrate the Battle Board arena and leave a spirit there, lying in wait. We brought these concerns to security, and the military permitted us to go there and dispatch the spirit. No harm done."

"I think I can see where this is going, Tatsuya," Mayumi said, "but will you please just answer my question? Why haven't you told me about any of this?"

"The spot where the spirit was waiting was exactly the same spot where Ms. Kuroki collided with Ms. Watanabe."

"I guess I'll give up asking, then," said Mayumi. "Mr. Yoshida, what kind of effect would that spirit have had? I seem to recall that the Yoshida family is skilled with Spirit Magic."

"It would have created a disturbance in the water," Mikihiko replied. "A small dip - not enough to throw off a racer, unless, of course, that racer was trying to catch another racer who accidently over-accelerated. And, by the way, you can call me Mikihiko. I don't like using my last name."

"Very well, then, Mikihiko," said Mayumi. "So, we know that someone tampered with Ku-chan's CAD. What does that mean?"

"While we can't rule out the possibility that it was someone on Seventh High's technical staff," Tatsuya said, "the most likely explanation is that someone on the tournament staff did the tampering."

"I'll keep that in mind, Tatsuya," said Mayumi. "But, if that's all, I really should be going. It was nice to meet you, Mikihiko."

"Likewise, Ms. Saegusa." With that, Mayumi left the room. "Tatsuya, what was the purpose of that?" Mikihiko asked.

"She's been wanting information from me," replied Tatsuya.

"...so you gave her information," inferred Mikihiko. "I get it. Oh, by the way, do you want me to continue with my investigations?"

"No, it's okay, Mikihiko," Tatsuya replied. "I doubt they'll try Spirit Magic again, since we can identify and prevent such tampering. There isn't anything you can do against the CAD tampering, so you can relax now."

"Thank you, Tatsuya," Mikihiko said as he let out a big sigh. "I really need some sleep. I've been awake for the past two days, and I am beat. Tell the others that I'm sorry if I miss their competitions, but that it can't be helped."

"You got it."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Tatsuya hear a knock on his door. He sensed that it was Mayumi, and opened the door.

"May I come in?"

"Sure."

"Tatsuya, I understand if you did not want to say anything in front of Mikihiko, so I'm going to ask you once again: why didn't you tell me about the thieves?"

"What would that have accomplished? You were competing the next day, and since you couldn't have done anything about it - the entire matter was already settled by Mikihiko and I - telling you would have only caused you undue stress."

"The matter is obviously not settled, Tatsuya, as evidenced by the attack today."

"...which is why I elected to inform you of the situation at this point."

"What's my name, Tatsuya?"

"Saegusa Mayumi."

"That's right. I'm the ojou-sama of the Saegusa family. I've had to deal with the possibility of assassination attempts since I was a child. Do you really think some thieves would cause me to stress?"

"Mayumi..."

"I understand what you're doing, Tatsuya. You think that by keeping people in the dark, you're protecting them. I should know...I had to do the same thing with my little sisters, when they were younger, and my older brother did the same thing with me. But that's only one way to protect people, Tatsuya! You could also tell them about the danger, so then the people you want to protect are prepared and can stand with you to face the danger head-on!"

"If that would work, Mayumi, why would I not have spilled everything a long time ago?"

"Tatsuya..."

"If that would work, why do I design CADs and work at FLT under the name Taurus Silver, not Shiba Tatsuya?"

"I think you don't know that you can trust people."

"It's not a matter of whether I can trust you or not. I do trust you. It's a matter of what I am permitted to do, and what I am forbidden to do. I am forbidden from purposely revealing myself, and if I were to break that rule, as you are advocating, that could pose unimaginable danger for you, your friends, my friends - anyone I told."

"...'purposefully' revealing yourself? Does that mean that if I were to investigate you, any danger would be nullified?"

"If it were, do you think I would have destroyed your phone? I have already bargained for the lives of you and Mari after you deduced my connection to Taurus Silver."

"Tatsuya...I didn't know..."

"Because I didn't tell you that. I just told you that to research any more would be dangerous, yet that wasn't enough for you."

"Tatsuya...I'm sorry...I didn't realize..."

"No, I'm sorry, Mayumi. I could have been more clear, but I didn't want you to worry. I see now that was the wrong decision."

"Look at us, Tatsuya. Arguing like a married couple."

"Wouldn't Erika just love to hear that you said that?"

"Tatsuya - you wouldn't dare tell her..."

Tatsuya chuckled. "But seriously, what does this mean for us, Mayumi?"

"I meant what I've been saying, Tatsuya. I don't want to be involved with anyone I can't fully trust, and while this has assuaged my concerns a little, I'm not ready to fully trust you yet. If you continue to be honest with me, and not try to hide things because you want to protect me, then we might be able to talk about further steps. Assuming you feel as I do, that is."

"Understood, Mayumi. But...please, know that if you find that I have kept something from you - which I will, it's inevitable - then it's purely for your own safety, nothing more, nothing less."

"I would sincerely love to believe that, Tatsuya, so we'll see how it goes."

* * *

 **~August 6th, 2095~**

Today began the first rounds of the Rookie Competition, during which Tatsuya would be on the clock for most of the events, beginning with Shizuku's Speed Shooting and Honoka's Battle Board competitions.

"Honoka, are you in the final race?" Tatsuya asked as he worked.

"Yes!" she replied. "Since I'm racing in the afternoon, there won't be any overlap with the Girls' Speed Shooting event," she said, not-so-subtly hinting that Tatsuya would be able to attend her race.

"I just hope it goes without a hitch..." Tatsuya muttered. "Uh, nothing," he said, catching himself. "I've been a little concerned about something, you see. What I'd really like to do is check out your CAD, Honoka..." This statement made Honoka really happy. "...but since I can't do that," he continued, which let Honoka down, "I've decided to at least watch your race from the sidelines." And with that, Honoka's spirits soared again.

"Really?" Honoka was elated. "That's a promise, okay?"

"Sure," he replied.

* * *

 **~A Few Hours Later~**

Tatsuya was doing the fine-tuning on Shizuku's CAD for her first round of Speed Shooting. Shizuku stood silently behind him, watching with her ever-present blank stare. When he was done, she picked up her CAD and tested it, to see how it felt.

"Check it out thoroughly to make sure nothing's wrong," Tatsuya said.

"Right. All good," replied Shizuku. "It's more comfortable than my own."

"Is it? Then I'm satisfied," Tatsuya said, smiling.

"Tatsuya?" said Shizuku. "Are you sure you don't want my family to hire you?"

"If you're relaxed enough to joke around right before your match, then you'll be fine," Tatsuya stated confidently.

"I'm not joking," Shizuku protested. "Look, you don't have to work for us exclusively-"

"I'm sure I've told you repeatedly," Tatsuya said, "but let's talk about that after I get my license, all right?"

"Gotcha," Shizuku said, looking disappointed.

"It's time, Shizuku," Tatsuya said, standing up from his desk.

"Yes," she said, trying to get herself in the mood.

"All right, good luck!" he said.

"Okay. I'm going to give it my all."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

The Rookie Speed Shooting event was drawing a large crowd...all the rookie events did, after all, as they were essentially a forecast of what the magic society would look like in ten years. With that in mind, the rookie events were almost like an audition, a performance rather than a competition, where the people in power would decide who to watch and who to discount. Even though they weren't worth many competition points, the rookie events still shouldn't be taken lightly.

"Is that seat next to you available?"

"Hey, Miyuki! Sure, it's available. Be my guest!" Erika said. Miyuki was just joining her friends in anticipation of Shizuku's match. Honoka accompanied her.

"Huh?" Mizuki said, noticing Honoka. "Honoka, are you ready for your race?"

"S-Sure I'm ready!" Honoka replied with unconvincing confidance. "My race isn't 'till the afternoon, anyway!"

"Honoka, if you get nervous now, you won't make it 'till your race," Miyuki said, noticing Honoka's attitude.

"I know that, but..."

"I know you'll be just fine, Honoka," Miyuki said reassuringly. "Didn't Tatsuya tell you the same thing? Or was he too clueless again to notice? ...Since you've come to see this match in order to take your mind off your race, let's just root for Shizuku for now."

"Okay," said Honoka, cheering up. "You're right!"

Meanwhile, Mayumi, Mari, and Suzune were watching the match from a special box above the main audience stands.

"Come to think of it," Mari said, "this will be our first time seeing his engineering skills in an actual match."

"That's true," agreed Mayumi. "In my case, I kicked him out before he could do much, so he really only just helped me out a little; it will be interesting to see how a CAD he's fine-tuned from scratch will perform."

"Shouldn't you be a little more excited, Mayumi?" Mari said with a wink. "After all, you are interested in him, right?"

"Mari...!"

"I was talking about his skills, Mayumi," Mari said with an innocent look. "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Starting with Ms. Kitayama," Suzune said, changing the subject, "he seems to be getting high praise from the athletes. Apparently some athletes even went to the trouble of bringing their own CADs with them today."

"Hey, hey," Mari said, suddenly serious, "that could affect the matches, couldn't it?"

"Regarding that, it seems like it's all under control," Suzune replied. "Apparently, he'll be servicing them after the matches are over."

"So he's steadily increasing his fan base, huh?" Mayumi said with a frown.

The warning buzzer sounded - it was time for the match to begin. Shizuku put on her visor and raised her CAD, and when the beginning bell rang, she immediately cast her spell. A giant magic circle appeared in the air, then vanished, leaving behind dots of light that expanded into waves of air, then similarly disappeared. The first clay pidgeon was launched and destroyed, as with the second, and the third.

"That's dynamic!" Erika exclaimed as she realized what was going on. "Could it be that she's set the whole scoring area as her Magic Activation Zone?"

"That's right," Honoka said with pride. "Shizuku is tagging all solid substances inside the zone with Vibrating Wave Magic to destroy her targets."

In the Student Council's box, a similar explanation of the spell was underway.

"The effective scoring area in Speed Shooting is a cube measuring fifteen meters on each side, placed in the air," Suzune said. "Shiba's Activation Sequence sets another cube inside it, measuring ten meters on each side, and the nine points comprised of each of its vertices and its center have been defined as epicenters. Each point has been numbered, and when that number is entered as a variable in the Activation Sequence that's been launched, sphere-shaped virtual waves will spread from the epicenter. The coverage area of these waves is six meters. In other words, activating the magic sequence once will cause the formation of a spherical "destruction space" with a radius of six meters and an epicenter at its core. In Speed Shooting, the position of the players, as well as the distance from, the direction, and the size of the effective scoring area remain constant. Therefore, there is no need to enter variable coordinates each time. Rather, you can simply specify the number of your choosing during activation - a subconscious action that will be taken automatically - and the Magic Sequence will be launched. In effect, Ms. Kitayama only needs to pull the trigger to destroy her targets."

When Suzune had finished her long-winded explanation, the final pidgeon was destroyed. Shizuku had scored a perfect one hundred - higher than Mayumi had scored in her preliminary round.

"The proper name of this magic spell is Active Air Mine," Suzune continued. "I hear it's a Shiba original. Due to its massive Activation Sequence, Ms. Kitayama's processing power makes it a viable spell."

Mayumi was speechless.

"In concept, it's the exact opposite of your magic, Mayumi," Mari commented.

"I can't believe that he came up with a sequence like this," Mayumi said, finally regaining her voice.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya was meeting with Shizuku in the tunnel leading to and from the Speed Shooting arena.

"Good job," he said.

"It seems anticlimactic, for some reason," Shizuku replied.

"I didn't think they'd go for the blind spots..." Tatsuya commented. "Just as I expected, the settings weren't spiteful at all."

"Tatsuya, you worry too much," Shizuku said. "It's still only the preliminaries, you know."

"But from the quarterfinals on, you'll be playing in match mode," Tatsuya replied. "I already fine-tuned your CAD this morning, so see how it feels later.

"Gotcha!" Shizuku said with a smile.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"So all three of our first year girls made it through, huh?" said Mayumi as she looked at the results for that day. "What's going on with Battle Board?"

"Two of the boys' races are over, and they both missed the cut," Suzune replied. "We had one girl competing, and she qualified."

"So that leaves us with just one more guy," Mayumi said. "As for the girls, Ms. Mitsui, who's in the final race, is sure to qualify. We can't have A-chan letting up any time soon."

"It may be a good idea to put more effort into nurturing engineers at our school, don't you think?" Jumonji said.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Tatsuya, are you all right?" Shizuku asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I'm sure you already know this, but this is a totally different model than what you used in the prelims." He was referring to the brand-new, state-of-the-art CAD that Shizuku would be using for the remainder of the Speed Shooting competition. "We're out of time, but if you feel any discomfort at all, I'll adjust it as much as possible, so don't hold back."

"There's no discomfort whatsoever," Shizuku reported. "Actually, it's such a good fit, it's creepy."

"Is that right?"

"The others..." Shizuku began, "the other two both won, right?"

"Yeah," Tatsuya said.

"Next is...my turn..." she said, showing a little nervousness.

"Don't worry," reassured Tatsuya. "If you perform like you always do, you can win, too."

"Of course," Shizuku responded. "Since you've done everything to pave the way to victory for me, Tatsuya, all I have to do now is win. No way am I gonna lose."

"That's the spirit."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"I hate waiting."

"Lina, calm down."

"But Masaki, First High has won most of the girls' competitions, and they aren't doing that bad on the mens' side either!"

"Relax, Lina, you'll get your chance."

"I hate waiting. Why do Monolith Code and Ice Pillars Break have to be so late in the competition? Why couldn't they have been, like, the very first events?"

"I'm sure there's a reason, Lina. Maybe it's to keep the public interested throughout the entire competition. Besides, if this Shiba Miyuki girl is as powerful as you claim, why are you in a rush to fight her?"

"I...um...I hate waiting."

"So you've said."

"I really, really hate waiting. Isn't there something that we can do in the meantime?"

"You could stalk that First High boy you're interested in, though that might be against the ethics of the competition."

"Masaki, what have I warned you about?"

"...that you hate waiting."

"You know what I mean. Or would you rather I approach a certain girl named Shiba Miyuki and tell her that the Crimson Prince has fallen for her?"

"You're heartless, Lina."

"I'm going to get my CAD fine-tuned. Again. For the third time today."

"Is it really that bad?"

"No, but I hate waiting, and it passes the time."


	13. NSC Part 6

**[Episode 13: Nine Schools Competition - Part 6]**

Shizuku's second Speed Shooting match was beginning. She pulled the trigger, and the spell was cast. She pulled and she pulled and she pulled, and at the end of the match, Shizuku was relieved to see that she had, once again, achieved a perfect score. Her opponent was not so lucky, having only achieved a score of 42; in other words, Shizuku blew her out of the water. The crowd of First High students erupted in applause, and Shizuku smiled. There's a first time for everything.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"I'm so impressed, Tatsuya!" Mayumi was being genuine in her enthusiasm; it was evident by the way she patted Tatsuya on the shoulder, to his discomfort. "That was a rout!"

"Chairwoman, please calm youself," said Suzune.

"Sorry, sorry..." Mayumi said, even though she didn't act sorry. Apparently, yesterday's talk with Tatsuya had improved her spirits. "But that really is amazing! To sweep the podium like that!"

"The winner, the runner up, and the third place finisher all were the players themselves, and not me," Tatsuya said, reminding Mayumi that his contributions only went so far.

"Of course, Ms. Kitayama, Ms. Akechi, and Ms. Takigawa were all impressive, too!" Mayumi agreed. "Good job, all of you!"

"Thank you very much," they all said in unison.

"But at the same time, your own achievement can't be denied," Mari said. "No question about it - that was a rout."

"Thank you very much," he said with a sigh.

"What's with the uninspired reaction?" asked Mari. "This feat, namely, all of our players finishing on the podium, owes much to your engineering skills, a fact that we all recognize."

"I can't believe it myself."

"It's like being under the illusion that my magic improved suddenly."

"Especially regarding Ms. Kitayama's magic," chimed in Suzune, "the university has approached us about officially adopting it into the Magic University's Index."

"You mean it would be registered as a new type of magic?" asked Mayumi excitedly, to which Suzune nodded with equal excitement.

"Is that right?" asked Tatsuya. "When they inquire about the name of the developer, please give them Ms. Kitayama's."

"What? No!" protested Shizuku. "We can't do that! That's an original of yours, Tatsuya!"

"The person who first uses a new type of magic is often registered as its developer," Tatsuya responded.

"Being overly modest can sound like sarcasm, you know?" Mari said, looking annoyed that Tatsuya would do such a thing.

"I'm not being modest," Tatsuya replied.

"Then what's the deal?" asked Mari.

"I just want to be spared the humiliation of not being able to use the magic registered in my own name as developer, that's all," Tatsuya explained.

"How did you confirm the operability of magic that you can't use yourself?" Mari asked. It was a perfectly reasonable question, but the way she phrased it made it sound like she was accusing him of something.

"It's not as though I can't use it at all," he elaborated. "It's just that it would take far too long for me to activate it, so I'm not at the level where I can actually use it."

"Now, now, both of you, let's not worry about that now," said Mayumi, still excited that First High's girls had done extremely well in Speed Shooting. "We did just get off to a good start today, after all. Tatsuya, I'm counting on you to keep this up for the other matches, too!"

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Third High was having a conference after their relatively terrible performance in Speed Shooting.

"All right, Masaki, so that stunt by First High...are you saying that it wasn't due to those three girls' personal skills?"

"To be sure, Kitayama, who came in first, showed superb magic skills," replied Masaki. "But the other two didn't strike me as being all that exceptional. If it were only a matter of magic power, there's no way that First High would've swept second and third place as well."

"And besides, we've got the edge in Battle Board so far," Lina pointed out. "It doesn't look like First High has any standout students among their first years."

"Lina's right," Masaki added. "We didn't lose in terms of talent level. Meaning that there's some other factor at play here."

"It must be their engineer," Lina said with a devious smile. Now that she would be competing the next day, she was getting excited about the competition. "I'll bet that the engineer in charge of the girls' Speed Shooting must have mind-blowing skills."

"Exactly," agreed Masaki. "Who's that First High boy that we were talking about?"

"Masaki..." Lina said through gritted teeth.

"...Shiba something, right?"

"Shiba Tatsuya, Masaki."

"Right, him," said Masaki. "Is he an engineer?"

"He is," affirmed Lina.

"Do you think it could be him?" asked Masaki.

"Well, aside from looking at First High's roster, there's no way to be sure..." Lina mused. "But ojii-san did say that he was a genius, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched."

"I guess it doesn't matter, anyway," Masaki said. "But, on the other hand, that device used by the girl who won...did you notice?"

"Yes!" said Lina excitedly. "That was a generalized model, wasn't it?"

"No way...but it had auxiliary sights!"

"That's right! I've never heard of a generalized device in rifle form!"

"I've never seen anything like that in any manufacturer's catalog!"

"True, they're probably not on the market," admitted Masaki. "But there actually is such a thing as a generalized device with integrated auxiliary sights."

"You serious?"

"It's a cutting-edge technology unveiled last summer in Dusseldorf," Lina explained.

"Last summer? Then they've already put that technology to actual use?"

"Right," said Masaki. "I never knew about it myself until I looked into it again, thanks to today's outcome."

"I'm impressed that you knew about it, Ms. Shields."

"I like to stay up on new technology...it gives me an edge...but the prototype announced at Dusseldorf most likely wasn't suitable for actual use," Lina said. "It was clunky, it was imprecise...it was pretty much a proof-of-concept mock up that they'd just stuck together."

"But today," Masaki said, picking up from where Lina left off, "the device used by Ms. Kitayama of First High combined the speed and accuracy of a specialized CAD with the ability to process different types of Activation Sequences - the virtue of a generalized device. If all that was made possible by an engineer's skills, then it's far beyond high school level. It's the work of a beast."

"Masaki...is he that good, for you to talk like that?"

"Though it's physically impossible for one engineer to be in charge of every single event..." Lina reasoned, only for Masaki to finish her thought.

"Whatever matches he is working, we'll be facing an uphill battle," said Masaki. "At the very least, we should take the field knowing that device-wise, we're in the hole by two or three generations." Masaki shared a quiet glance with Lina, who was also aware of the faux-seriousness of the situation. She had been having fun up unti the rookie events started that morning at Third High had been demolished, but now she was dead serious, an attitude befitting the commander of STARS.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

There was still time left before Honoka's Battle Board race, and Tatsuya was meeting her and Azusa outside of the Battle Board arena.

"Shiba, is there a problem?" asked Azusa. "Ms. Mitsui's race isn't for more than two hours..."

"I thought about heading back to our lodgings," Tatsuya replied, "but since I'm here, I thought there might be something I could help with." Hearing this, Honoka couldn't keep quiet.

"Really?" she exclaimed. "Then by all means, please take a look at my CAD!"

"Hey, Honoka," he said, "putting that way is rude to Ms. Nakajo..."

"I'm so sorry!" Honoka said, turning to Azusa.

"Don't worry about it," Azusa said. "I know that you didn't mean it that way."

"All right," said Tatsuya, "since you're showing remorse, let me rethink your strategy for getting through the prelims."

* * *

 **~Two Hours Later~**

Honoka, along with the other racers, was kneeling on her board, getting ready to start. Tatsuya, Azusa, Miyuki and Shizuku had found their seats and were awaiting the beginning of the race.

"Come to think of it, I wonder why Ms. Mitsui has so many Optical Activation Sequences prepared?" Azusa said.

"Under Battle Board rules, using magic to interfere with other contestants is prohibited. However, you're not barred from hindering them as a result of interfering with the surface of the water," Tatsuya hinted before handing Azusa a pair of dark sunglasses.

"What are these for?" she asked. Looking down the row of seats, she saw that Miyuki and Shizuku were both wearing the same type of sunglasses, and Tatsuya put his pair on when the race was just about to start. "What's the meaning of this...?"

"On your mark..."

When the pistol was fired, Honoka immediately cast a spell. A bright light shone out of the surface of the water, blinding both the other racers and the audience; Honoka herself would have been blinded, had she not also been wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. Most of the blinded racers lost their balance and fell off of their boards, while those that didn't couldn't move for fear of the same fate. When the light was gone there was only one racer left standing - Honoka, who easily won the preliminary round.

"It never even occurred to me that she would cast an optical spell on the water's surface," said Azusa.

After the competition was over, Honoka came running up to Tatsuya.

"I won! I won, Tatsuya!" she cried, clasping his hands.

"Yes, right, I saw you," he said. "Congratulations."

"Th-Thank you very much!" she replied, nearly to the point of tears - her emotion had changed rapidly from joy to sorrow, apparently.

"N-No problem..." Tatsuya said awkwardly.

"I...I...I always wimp out during matches..." she cried, literally. "Whether it's Sports Day or athletic meets, or tournaments like this one, I've hardly ever won before..." Tatsuya looked confused, so Shizuku decided to help him understand.

"She's talking about her elementary school days," Shizuku whispered to Tatsuya.

"It's all thanks to you, Tatsuya, that I made it past the preliminaries!" Honoka was practically sobbing at this point.

* * *

 **~That Evening~**

"We did get the second-place position in Boys' Speed Shooting," Mayumi said.

"But the other two were knocked out, huh?" Mari commented.

"So the boys and girls ended up with the opposite results, didn't they?" Mayumi mused. The rush of having swept the Girls' Speed Shooting podium had worn off when the boys failed to produce similar results.

"At this rate, if we can't find a way out of this funk, even if we do okay this year, there might be repercussions going forward," Jumonji stated. "Our guys might be in need of a boost..."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Lina, did you find out who the mystery engineer is?"

"I'm 99% certain it's Shiba Tatsuya, Masaki."

"How did you come across this information?"

"I'm the grandniece of the head of the Magic Association, Masaki. I simply went up to one of my grand-uncle's employees, batted my eyes, and asked about the mysterious new engineer who was doing impossible things with CADs. They told me it was Shiba Tatsuya, a first year at First High. That has a nice ring to it - Shiba Tatsuya, First High First Year."

"Don't get carried away thinking about him, Lina."

"You know, you're really overestimating how much I like him. I've really only seen him a handful of times, and that's not enough to develop feelings for him."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. And yet all you do is go on about him and beating Shiba Miyuki."

"That's enough, Masaki. But, incidentally, what are we going to do about him?"

"We should introduce ourselves."

"You're joking, right?"

"Are you afraid to talk to him, Lina?"

"Not at all! I just don't see how that will help."

"Did you find out what events he's working?"

"The tournament staff didn't know, so..."

"Then we ask him."

"This is a stupid plan."

"You don't have a better one, Lina."

"Do we have to introduce ourselves, Masaki? Couldn't we just ask him without making seem like we want to be friends?"

"If we do it right, that won't be the impression he gets. But even still, it's always good to be polite with one's enemies. That way, no matter what happens, they won't be angry."

"Is that your way of saying you think Miyuki might win?"

"What - no! That's not what I meant at all. Were you listening?"

"Yes, I was. Are you sure there's nothing else you can do? You're the scion of the Ichijou clan, after all!"

"If the most that the grandniece of the Patriarch can do is get the guy's name, then the Ichijou won't be able to help. And that's not necessarily a bad thing; the more secure this competition is, the more reliable the results are."

"Fine. When should we do it?"

"We could wait outside his room."

"What, and make us look like stalkers?"

"You said you didn't want to be friends, Lina!"

"I didn't intend for you to completely go the other way!"

"Okay, fine. How about we just get First High's schedule for tomorrow, pick a time when we know where he'll be, and wait for him there."

"It still seems like we're stalking him. Or following him. Or investigating him."

"Good. That's intimidating. He might get scared and not be so stellar anymore."

"Hmph. Boys."

* * *

 **~August 6th, 2095~**

In the small hours of the morning, five individuals were meeting in the Chinatown district of Yokohama - a walled-in city only blocks away from the Yokohama branch of the Magic Association. The meeting place was a tall building with distinctly Chinese architecture and design.

"Wasn't Third High supposed to be the front-runner for the Rookie competitions?"

"That's a good thing, though...since First High was the upset, then we might be able to recoup some of our losses..."

"But now First High will do even better in the long run! Especially after trying to engineer Watanabe's withdrawal - a failure of an operation, if you ask me - the only effect of which was to limit our own options!"

"At this rate, First High will end up winning anyway."

"If the favorite wins, as bookmakers we'd be the only losers."

"And we drew an especially large crowd this time. For us, it won't come cheap, paying out the dividends. It's sure to put a huge dent in our business this term. And if that happens...all of us here will be purged."

"Depending on the size of our losses, the boss might just do the deed himself."

"If it were only a matter of dying, it wouldn't be so bad..."

"We've got to make a move right away."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Tatsuya was returning to his room after a long night of preparations for tomorrow's - today's - matches, when he saw with Elemental Sight that Miyuki was waiting for him in his room.

"Hey, do you know what time it is?" he said upon entering. "Lack of sleep will impair your concentration. Even you aren't immune to unexpected mistakes that could lead to defeat, you know."

"Deal with it," she said with a smile.

"As long as you understand that, I guess it's fine... All right, go on back to your own room now. I'll walk you-"

"I heard from Shizuku."

"What are you talking about, Miyuki?"

"That you turned down the honor of having your name added to the Index...is that right?"

"Oh, that. I don't really need my name on the Index again...if, eventually, I do desire such prestige, I'll simply reveal myself as Taurus Silver."

"Don't joke about this, Tatsuya! Did you do that out of consideration for your precious okaa-sama's wishes?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to call her precious, but yes. After all, the Magic University's research capabilities are extremely high. It's not at all far-fetched that they could uncover and expose my identity as "Silver," which the Yotsubas have been so careful to block information on, never mind my own link to the Yotsuba family. Right now, I still don't have sufficient power. Going one-on-one, it's possible that I could defeat the "Queen of the Night," Maya Yotsuba. After all, my Decomposition is highly compatible with our aunt's Night. But as I am now, even if I can take down your oba-sama, my okaa-sama, I still can't subdue the Yotsuba family. Military might alone, violence alone...they're not enough. Even if I overthrew Maya, it would just clear the way for another, even more nefarious manipulator. Right now, my only option is to obey. As it stands, though, I am in good standing with Maya, and I'm not wasting it."

"I'm on your side, remember that."

"That's not at all what you would've said a few months ago."

"I'm not the same girl that I was then."

"No, you're not. You're a powerful young woman...a powerful young woman who has an Ice Pillars Break match later today. I'm sorry, my monologue has kept you from your much-needed rest. Come on, I'll walk you back to your room."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"Shizuku..." Tatsuya said. "Are you really going to compete dressed like that?" He was referring to the traditional green kimono that she had donned for the Ice Pillars Break event.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "Since the rules allow for it, I might as well wear it."

"Listen, Shizuku..."

"What?"

"Those long sleeves...wouldn't they get in your way?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," she replied. "The sleeves are on the short side, and I'll be using my sash. And besides...I think it's less gaudy than what Ms. Chiyoda and Eimi are wearing..."

"I know they're allowed to wear whatever gets them the most pumped up," Tatsuya complained, "but it's like a fashion show out there, huh?"

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Shizuku stood on the platform, waiting for the round to begin. Her opponent, dressed in a military-inspired outfit, stood opposite her on her own platform. Each had a determined look on her face, though in Shizuku's case, it was simply her usual deadpan that was mistaken by many for determination.

Then the match began. Each reached for her CAD; Shizuku's opponent cast a spell that targeted a handful of Shizuku's pillars at a time, but it did almost no damage whatsoever. Shizuku, on the other hand, cast a powerful spell that affected every single one of her opponent's pillars: every one was cracked, and a third of them shattered completely when the spell came to fruition. Shizuku repeated this move two times, and at the end of the second, her opponent only had one pillar left standing. It was not long for this world, and was quickly destroyed in the same manner as the others.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Honoka was staring at Tatsuya's spells as he fine-tuned Miyuki's CAD for her own upcoming Ice Pillars Break match. She was remembering the day of the entrance exams, when she had seen Tatsuya casting the given spell...unlike most students, however, Tatsuya's spell had no light-wave byproducts...as spells went, it could have been considered a 'Green' execution. Caught up in the past, Honoka was caught by Miyuki, who had entered while she wasn't paying attention.

"What's the matter, Honoka?"

"S-Sorry...it's nothing," Honoka stammered. Honoka was lucky that Miyuki was distracted by the sound of the door closing. Everyone turned and saw Mayumi, Mari, Kei, and Kanon, with Mayumi waving to them.

"Miyuki, we've come to cheer you on!" she said. "You too, Tatsuya."

"Shouldn't you be stationed at headquarters, Chairwoman?" Tatsuya asked.

"It's all right," she replied. "I've left it in Hanzo's hands." Hearing this, Tatsuya turned to Miyuki.

"Miyuki, you've got yourself a reliable cheering section, but try not to let it make you even more nervous."

"No worries on that front, Tatsuya. But I am worried about something else..."

"What, Miyuki?"

"Tatsuya, is it safe to leave you and Mayumi in a room together?"

"...Miyuki, just go destroy some ice blocks," Tatsuya said while Mayumi blushed.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Miyuki had assumed her position atop the platform.

There was a countdown buzzer.

Then the match began. While Miyuki's opponent was still selecting her first spell, Miyuki's off-the-charts activation speed allowed her to make the first move, and it was a great first move. She cast Inferno, a spell that generated intense heat by transferring the kinetic energy from one zone to another zone in the form of heat, having the effect of making the first zone colder and the second zone hotter. Miyuki had designated her own field as the first zone, and the opponent's as the second; in one move, Miyuki had strengthened her own defenses by making the ice even colder and harder to break, while also breaking down the opponent's defenses by melting her pillars. That being said, Inferno was not an easy spell to cast, which the First High Student Council was aware of.

"Don't tell me this is...Inferno?" Mari said incredulously.

With one spell, Miyuki had whittled her opponent's pillars down to half-melted husks of their former selves. While the effects of Inferno were still being felt, she cast a second spell: a simple freezing spell that had instant effects; in other words, the melting pillars became frozen again. This, however, created a large amount of excess energy - the energy that was lost when the high-energy melting pillars became low-energy frozen pillars - that was built up in the pillars with nowhere to go, resulting in the simultaneous explosion of all twelve of the opponent's pillars. Miyuki had won with only two spells cast, and not a single one of her pillars having been destroyed; simply put, she became the student to beat.

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

First High was holding a small formal dinner in honor of the day's victories. The first year girls were 'gushing,' for lack of a better word, over Tatsuya and Miyuki's achievements.

"That was amazing, wasn't it? That thing Miyuki did!"

"It's called "Inferno," right? The upperclasswomen were astounded. Even Rank A magicians struggle to pull it off, they said."

"Shizuku was so cool, too! I loved her long-sleeved kimono, and the way she drove her opponent into a corner so mercilessly...that was way cool!"

 _Yes, these are the kinds of things that high school girls get excited about in 2095. Other girls being merciless in their pursuit of victory. No wonder there had been another world war._

"That spell of Shiba and Shizuku's was a variation on Resonance, wasn't it?"

"So Shiba did design that Activation Sequence?"

"The spell Shizuku used in Speed Shooting was an original by Shiba, right?"

"And it was thanks to Shiba that Inferno got programmed at all, wasn't it?"

 _No one had ever said that. They simply inferred it from their gushing. That didn't make it any less true, however._

"I heard that Honoka's Blinding Flash strategy was also Shiba's brainchild."

"Thanks to Shiba, I was able to perform better than usual...there's no doubt about that."

"In a sense, calibrating your CAD is like exposing your innermost feelings, isn't it? To do that for a male engineer...I did have reservations at first, but now I really feel lucky to have Shiba looking after me! We should be thankful to the boys who let us have Shiba in their place."

 _Okay, now they were getting carried away. Exposing innermost feelings? It's simply a piece of hardware that's fine-tuned to the user's specifications, though I can see where they would get confused,_ thought Tatsuya. _It's time I made my exit, before this gets out of hand._

"Thank you for your high appraisal of me," he said, "but I was only able to help the athletes achieve their own victory, nothing more. And I was only able to do that because I stayed up late last night working, as well as the night before; so, if you'll please excuse me, I really need to get some sleep."

"Oh, of course, Shiba!"

"Keep up the good work!"

"I can't wait to see what you'll do next, Shiba!"

As he was walking out, he heard a familiar voice.

"Tatsuya, I'll walk with you to your room," Mayumi said, smiling.

After they had been walking for a minute or so, Tatsuya spoke up.

"Mayumi, I've noticed that whenever we're alone, your attitude changes. Does that have to do with me?"

"In a general sense, yes, but it's more the other way around. When I'm with other people...I'm the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan..."

"...as you've repeatedly reminded me..." This earned Tatsuya a slap on the wrist.

"...I'm the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan, and the President of First High's Student Council. If I allow myself to be led by my feelings in public, what does that say about the training that I have received from those two institutions? And what does it say about my respect for the positions I hold?"

"There was a time when you didn't have to hide your feelings."

"Yes, but my childhood is long past," Mayumi joked. "I know what you mean. There was also a time when I wasn't suspicious of you."

"Just what is it you suspect me of?"

"I can't say for sure...it's more just a general feeling I get from knowing who you are and that you're still keeping things from me. Kind of like that moment where someone says "It can't get any worse than this," and then the situation becomes ten times as worse as it already was. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense, Mayumi, and I'm glad to know that your instincts are so accurate."

"What?! Does that mean that it actually does get ten times worse?!"

"Well, that's really a matter of perspective."

"How can something so simple be a matter of perspective? It's good versus bad, Tatsuya. There's no third option."

"I once heard from a religious person that God is glorified in the worst situations, because that's when he can deliver the most. That's a positive perspective on a bad situation."

"...oh, so that's what you meant."

"Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of other perspectives that have the same outlook, if you don't particularly like that one, Mayumi."

"No, no, no! I didn't mean that I was against religion, or anything. It's just...that doesn't change the situation...the religious person, in your example, is still in a bind...meaning that, ultimately, it's not a matter of perspective. If I were to dive into your life, it would end badly; that's the message I got, Tatsuya."

"I can't really argue with that."

"Then what incentive is there for me to get to know you, Tatsuya?"

"My charming personality." At this, Mayumi had to stifle a laugh, lest she wake up people who were already asleep.

"No, really, Tatsuya. Give me one good reason not to just stop walking, stop caring, and go back to that dinner."

"I'm rich, and since you're an ojou-sama, wealth is a factor you take into account."

"Tatsuya," she sighed, "when I asked for one good reason, I wanted you to be a little more emotional and a little less practical."

"If it's emotions you're looking for, then I can't give you any good reasons, Mayumi, and I doubt I ever will be able to."

"What does that mean, Tatsuya?"

"An...accident, when I was young, changed the chemistry of my brain. I don't have strong emotions; in fact, the only thing that survived was my brotherly love for Miyuki."

"But the fact that you love your sister means there is love in you, Tatsuya," Mayumi said with a tear in her eye. "If there wasn't, then why would you continue to walk and talk with me all this time? Why would you try to repair our relationship...why, even, would you risk ruining our relationship to protect me, if there was no love in you?"

To this, Tatsuya had no answer.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

They had walked the remainder of the way to Tatsuya's room in silence. Or, at least, they were going to, had their path not been blocked by two Third High students. Both Tatsuya and Mayumi recognized them both immediately, but they still let them introduce themselves.

"I'm Ichijou Masaki, a first year at Third High School."

"And I'm Angelina Kudou Shields, a first year transfer student at Third High School."


	14. NSC Part 7

**[Episode 14: Nine Schools Competition - Part 7]**

"I'm Ichijou Masaki, a first year at Third High School."

"And I'm Angelina Kudou Shields, also a first year at Third High School."

"I'm Shiba Tatsuya, a first year at First High School."

"I'm Saegusa Mayumi, third year and Student Council President of First High School."

"So tell me," Tatsuya continued, "what do the Crimson Prince and _Angie_ want with us? It must be _serious_ , to break etiquette in such a manner." The way Tatsuya stressed 'Angie' and 'serious' immediately put Lina on alert, as it seemed like he was referencing Angie Sirius. She had previously been trying to avoid looking at Tatsuya for...personal reasons...but now she stared him down, trying to guess what he knew. Tatsuya only smiled. "Or is it Ms. Shields? I'm sorry if I was too presumptuous by calling you Angie. That is the common nickname for Angelina, is it not?"

"Huh?" Lina said, as Tatsuya's question broke her concentration. "Oh...yes, Angie is the common nickname, but I prefer Lina. You can call me Ms. Shields, however, since I don't know you."

"Very well, Ms. Shields." To Tatsuya, Lina's reaction confirmed her identity as Angie Sirius: not only had her attitude changed when he said 'Angie - serious,' but she also went out of her way to emphasize the fact that her nickname was Lina, not Angie. "But, if I may return to my original question, what do you want with us?"

"We want to congratulate both you and Ms. Saegusa," Ichijou said. "Sweeping the podium like that is no easy feat, especially when the athletes are only of the average variety."

"If our athletes are only average, Mr. Ichijou," said Mayumi, "then what level are your athletes at, since they didn't even place?"

"Make no mistake, Ms. Saegusa," Lina interrupted, "we would have won if Mr. Shiba had not been the engineer for the Speed Shooting event. He's likely the most prodigious engineer in the history of the Nine Schools Competition." She turned to Tatsuya. "We know it's probably rude to do this before the match, but we came to see what you looked like."

"When she says 'we,' she means that she wanted to see you," said Ichijou. "I actually just wanted to ask you something."

"Masaki! Why'd you..." Realizing it was in bad form to get mad at Masaki in public, Lina didn't finish her sentence.

"I'm humbled that Ms. Shields, with her renowned beauty, would want to see what I looked like," Tatsuya replied, "but as I said earlier, it's unorthodox. Now, if there's nothing else..."

"One last thing, Mr. Shiba," Ichijou said. "We'll be competing in Monolith Code tomorrow. What about you?"

"I'm not in charge of that event," replied Tatsuya. "But I do know the contestants, and I have confidence in my school's Monolith Code team."

"Is that right?" Lina said with mock disappointment. "That's unfortunate. We'd love to compete against your players one day. Though, needless to say, we'd be sure to win." She said this with a playful smile.

"Sorry to take up your time," said Ichijou. "Ms. Saegusa, Mr. Shiba, good luck. We'll be looking forward to the next time." And with that, Masaki and Lina walked away without looking back.

After they were out of earshot, Mayumi spoke up.

"Tatsuya, what was that about?"

"Do you want to know what I hope or what I think it really was?"

"Let's start with what you hope."

"Well, Mayumi, I hope that they were trying to find out if I was in charge of Monolith Code because I intimidated them, meaning that we might actually have a chance at beating them."

"But that's not what you really believe?"

"No. I think that they were the ones trying to be intimidating, and the fact that I'm not in charge of Monolith Code was simply a bonus."

"Oh... By the way, did you mean to stress the words 'Angie' and 'serious' the way that you did, right after I introduced myself?"

"If I did, why does it matter?"

"One of the Thirteen Apostles - the thirteen publicly-recognized Strategic-class magicians - is named Angie Sirius, which sounds an awful lot like 'Angie Serious.'"

"Right...that was just a hunch of mine that I was testing."

"A hunch, Tatsuya?"

"Do you know how I chose the name Taurus Silver?"

"No...I assumed that it was given to you as a nickname or something..."

"I chose it based on my English initials, TS. Coincidentally, did you know that Kudou is Ms. Shields' middle name? Meaning that her initials are AS."

"...Angelina Shields, or Angie Sirius...I see it now. So what was the result of your test?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Is she Angie Sirius or not?"

* * *

 **~August 7th, 2095~**

"Too bad for you, huh, Shizuku?"

"Yeah...I'm bitter that I lost."

"Shizuku..."

"From the start, I didn't think I had a chance of winning."

"I see..."

"But I was way overmatched! I feel so bitter, Honoka!"

"I'm so sorry... Hey, want to go have some tea? I'm getting a little hungry."

"Thank you, yes."

* * *

 **~August 8th, 2095~**

Today would be a busy day for Miyuki. First, she had the Rookies' Girls' Ice Pillars Break final round, and then she would go straight into the second Monolith Code qualification round. But first, Honoka had the Rookies' Girls' Battle Board finals, and Leo, Mikihiko, Erika and Mizuki were there to support her.

"Is it just me," Erika began, "or is this, like, totally freaky? All the players wearing shades!"

"Well, why wouldn't they?" replied Mikihiko. "To counter Ms. Mitsui's Optical Magic, it's the most affordable sure-fire strategy. What's your problem, anyway?"

"Well, because!" Erika said. "They're just playing right into Tatsuya's hands, aren't they? I can't believe they'd go cheap and use goggles..."

"Do you think she'll try to blind them with the spray this time?" asked Mizuki.

"I don't know about that," replied Mikihiko. "I just don't see Tatsuya stooping to a simplistic strategy like that."

"On your marks..."

The pistol fired, and the race began. Honoka took off a second behind the other racers, worrying her friends.

"Late start?"

"No, she's keeping pace!"

As the racers approached the first turn, Honoka, who was in second place, cast an Illusion spell which created a large, dark shadow on the course. Honoka surfed right through it, while the other girls went around it; by the time the turn was past, Honoka was in first place. This anticlimactic power play puzzled the crowd.

"What the heck was that?" asked Leo.

"It looked like a shadow dropped onto the course," responded Erika.

They watched as Honoka repeated the maneuver at the next turn; observing her, Mikihiko had a mild epiphany.

"I see, so that's where she's going with this."

"Huh? What is it?" asked Erika.

"Because they're wearing dark-colored goggles, her opponents' field of vision is dark," Mikihiko explained. "So they're under the false impression that the water route ends at the border between the light and dark areas, and they end up trying not to enter the dark areas."

"Who knew that you could use Illusion Magic that way!" Erika exclaimed in amazement.

Honoka easily won the Rookies' Girls' Battle Board event.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Miyuki, this isn't going to be easy," Mayumi said. "Initially, we weren't sure of how strong she was, but after Ms. Shields defeated Ms. Kitayama in Ice Pillars Break...that gave us a ballpark estimate of her power."

"I wasn't able to see that match because of the possibility that Shizuku and I might face each other...what was Shizuku's strategy?" asked Miyuki.

"She tried using overwhelming force," Mayumi replied. "Tatsuya had given her a second CAD that was equipped with Phonon Maser, a quantum heat ray, to try to melt the ice while Ms. Shields was distracted with an all-out heat magic attack."

"How did that turn out?"

"Well," said Mayumi hesitantly, "it seems that Ms. Shields was imitating your strategy. She cast Inferno, albeit a less powerful version, and then re-froze the ice pillars to make them explode, just like you did." Mayumi paused for a second. "It kind of seemed like she was calling you out, Miyuki."

"Why are you telling Miyuki this, Mayumi?" asked Tatsuya. He had been listening to the conversation without interjecting, as Mayumi was talking primarily to Miyuki, but his curiosity got the best of him.

"Because I don't want Miyuki to strain herself before the Monolith Code event," Mayumi replied. "As you know, Monolith Code has a greater point value than Ice Pillars Break, because, frankly, it's more popular. That being said, we will already gain a fair amount of points from Ice Pillars Break if Miyuki places second, as Ms. Kitayama has placed third...we get more points because both of our players will be on the podium. Therefore, I want to Miyuki to focus on Monolith Code, since that is where her magic powers will really be tested."

"I understand, Chairwoman," Miyuki said, "but I can give Ms. Shields a run for her money, right? I don't have to fight slowly or lazily in Ice Pillars Break, do I?"

"No, no! That's not what I meant at all," Mayumi said, waving her hands back and forth to emphasize her point. "By all means, wear her out...just don't wear yourself out in the process." Mayumi appeared to be thinking for a second. "I think that's all I had to say. Tatsuya? Do you have any input for Miyuki?"

"Miyuki, I think that you can beat her if you really wanted to," Tatsuya said, "but I would advise that you listen to Mayumi. Do your best, either way; that's all I have to say."

"Excellent!" said Mayumi. "Now, Miyuki, hadn't you better get ready? The match starts pretty soon..."

"Hai!"

* * *

 **~A Half Hour Later~**

Miyuki was standing atop the four meter high platform, staring down Angelina Kudou Shields before the match. The crowd was larger than usual; maybe because both Miyuki and Lina were reputed to be very beautiful, or maybe because this would be a foreshadowing of the Monolith Code finals, but either way, the crowd was completely silent. They understood that what they were about to witness was not on the high school level of competition...these two girls could have each singlehandedly beat every other Ice Pillars Break contestant if they wanted to.

The starting buzzer sounded, and the match began.

Miyuki planned to make the first move, but Lina was too fast. Miyuki's field was instantly covered in fire.

"Muspelheim?!" Mayumi said, shocked. "And her activation speed is faster that Miyuki's?!"

Miyuki wasn't one to give up quickly, however. Faster than Lina could say "Sirius," Miyuki had blanketed Lina's own field in liquid nitrogen.

"Niflheim?" Mari said incredulously. "Just who are these girls, Mayumi?"

"I'm starting to think that we barely know them at all," Mayumi agreed, as both Muspelheim and Niflheim were Rank A spells that were very difficult to program, let alone cast. She looked over at Tatsuya, who was watching from the private box with a furrowed brow.

Even though Lina had a head start, Miyuki began to overpower her in terms of raw magic power - Miyuki's liquid nitrogen, created by Niflheim, had engulfed nearly every square inch of Lina's pillars. As soon as they were covered, Miyuki would use Inferno to rapidly heat up the liquid nitrogen, causing the same explosive effect that Lina used against Shizuku, but with much greater force.

Lina, however, anticipated this, as she had used the same move to defeat Shizuku. Instead of letting it happen, Lina launched a freezing spell of her own right when Miyuki activated Inferno.

In one second, both fields of pillars were completely destroyed. Not a trace of an ice pillar was left, and the crowd - though already silent - was left speechless.

"Wha...what just happened, Mayumi?" asked Mari.

"I don't know," came the confused reply.

It seemed that the judges were just as confused, as there was no winner displayed on the monitor. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the monitor changed.

"DRAW," it read.

Miyuki and Lina looked at each other across their empty fields. Each now held a certain respect for the other, but they were also each more determined to defeat the other the next day in the Monolith Code finals. Sure, they both still had to advance to the finals, but given their power that would be no big deal. But since Miyuki's next Monolith Code match was in just a couple hours, she had to go prepare.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"Tatsuya, are you going to grab a bite to eat before watching Miyuki's match against Fourth High?" asked Mayumi.

"Indeed, Mayumi," he replied. Sensing her intent, he decided to follow up his answer with a question. "Would you care to join me?"

"I'd be delighted!" she replied.

They walked in silence for a minute. _I'm having deja vu,_ Tatsuya thought. _This feels exactly like last night. Except Mayumi seems more cheerful...there we go, that's what I'll talk about._

"You seem to be in better spirits today, Mayumi," he said tentatively.

"Well, I'm on a mission today, you see."

"This doesn't have anything to do with me, right? You know how dangerous that would be..."

"It is about you, Tatsuya. But not the other you, not Silver."

"I can't describe how glad I am to hear you say those words, Mayumi. It seems that ever since we arrived here, all you have tried to do is dig into my past..."

"Well, my mission sort of concerns your past..."

"No. Whatever it is, I'm probably not going to tell you."

"...I'm joking, I'm joking, okay? Half-joking, at least. My mission is to get you to recognize the love in your heart."

Tatsuya sighed.

"Mayumi, I've already told you...the accident messed up my brain chemistry. I don't have the capacity for strong feelings like love anymore."

"But that's where you're wrong, Tatsuya. Love doesn't come from the brain...it comes from here," she said, laying a hand on his heart.

"Physiologically speaking, the heart does not produce emotions. It pumps blood."

It was Mayumi's turn to sigh.

"Tatsuya, sometimes it's best to hold your tongue when a girl is saying something romantic."

"Sorry, Chairwoman!"

"Hey! Are you mocking me?"

"I would never dare such a thing," he said with a smile. "I do value my life, after all."

"So you _are_ mocking me," she said, blushing from embarassment.

They walked the rest of the way to the hotel restaurant in silence. _This is forming a pattern,_ Tatsuya thought. _I should probably break it._

"We don't have much time before Miyuki's match, so let's just sit at the bar, okay, Chairwoman?"

"Nonsense, Tatsuya. If you want me to forgive you for mocking me, then we're going to have a proper lunch. Miyuki will understand; after all, this isn't the final round or anything."

"Very well, Mayumi..."

"That's better!"

* * *

 **~A Half Hour Later~**

"That was a delicious lunch! Thanks, Tatsuya!"

"My pleasure, Mayumi. Shall we head to Miyuki's match now?"

"Sure. We'll miss the first few minutes, but it will still be fun to see the end."

"Ready? Let's go."

They left the hotel, and started walking towards the stands that had been set up for the Monolith Code event. Since Monolith Code took place over a large area - called a stage - that generally changed for every single round to give variety, the audience wasn't able to watch every single match in person. Rather, the stands were set up around a large monitor that would livestream the battle from various perspectives.

Mayumi and Tatsuya kept talking as they walked, as people tend to do, and Tatsuya felt a rare moment of happiness. It wouldn't last, however.

About halfway to the audience seating, Tatsuya felt something break. Not something physical, something mental. Like a dam that had shattered because it was no longer being supported. At the same time, pure Psions started flowing out of Tatsuya in vast amounts. The entire area around him was bathed in the blue glow from the Psions, including Mayumi, who stood there with a worried expression on her face.

"Tatsuya! What's wrong, Tatsuya? Are you okay?"

Even though this was the first time feeling such a sensation, there was only one thing that it could be.

"Miyuki's in trouble."

"What? How do you know?"

Mayumi didn't get an answer to her question. Tatsuya took off, running away from the audience seats and in a random direction. Mayumi would have followed, had she not heard Erika's obnoxious voice calling her name.

"Mayumi! Mayumi! Where's Tatsuya?" she asked, out of breath. It appeared she had been running all the way from the stands.

"He ran that way, saying something about Miyuki being in trouble," replied Mayumi. "Why? What's wrong?"

"There was an accident during the Monolith Code match," said Erika hurredly. "Miyuki, Jumonji, and Mari were caught underneath falling rubble. They cut the feed from the video, but they all looked to be unconscious."

"No...not Mari and Jumonji as well!" cried Mayumi. "Where's the stage located? The President of First High's Student Council should be there."

"It's in the direction that Tatsuya ran," replied Erika. "Let's go! Quickly, Mayumi! ...And by the way, what were you and Tatsuya doing together?"

"THIS IS HARDLY THE TIME FOR THAT," Mayumi said before her ojou-sama instincts kicked in and made her finish the sentence: "...MS. CHIBA!"

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Tatsuya knocked on the door of the hospital room. Miyuki and Mari had both been hospitalized at the Susono Base for the injuries they sustained during the Monolith Code match. Jumonji had apparently been offered treatment, and had accepted a sling for his broken arm, but refused anything beyond that and had reportedly left to talk to the tournament committee.

"Come in."

"Hey, Miyuki."

"Tatsuya!"

Tatsuya rushed to the bed and hugged his little sister tightly...but not too tightly, lest he undo the doctors' hard work.

"How are you feeling, Miyuki?"

"Much better, Tatsuya. Erika and the others came to see me earlier." She winced as she sat up.

"You know...I can make this go away..."

"But you won't do that, will you?" The Shiba siblings, surprised by the third voice, turned suddenly to see Yotsuba Maya standing in the corner, draped in her trademark black cape and cowl.

"Why not, okaa-sama?" Tatsuya asked with vehemence.

"Watch your tone, Tatsuya," said Maya. "Her injuries aren't major...they won't impact her future as a magician, and they'll heal in a few days. Soon enough for Miyuki to compete in Mirage Bat, of course."

"Mirage Bat...?" said Miyuki. "But Ms. Watanabe is participating in Mirage Bat!"

"Not after today, she isn't," replied Maya. "She won't be able to do any strenuous exercize after she's released today. She fractured some ribs, you know. You were lucky to get off with only a fractured arm...and it wasn't your dominant arm, either. You will easily be able to take Ms. Watanabe's place in Mirage Bat."

"You haven't answered my question, okaa-sama." Tatsuya was not happy, to say the least.

"It would be suspicious if Miyuki healed too quickly, don't you think?" Maya said. "And besides, coming back from an injury in order to seize the day...makes for quite the endearing story, wouldn't you agree, Miyuki?"

"Fine," said Tatsuya, I will not heal Miyuki, okaa-sama."

"That's the spirit! Now, my orders still stand, so go be a show off, Tatsuya! Oh, and by the way...make sure you reinstitute the Pledge as soon as possible, Miyuki. I'm trusting you to do this without me; don't let me down." With that, Maya turned and walked out the door, as silently as she had come in. Now Tatsuya was in a predicament...Maya's orders - to 'show off' - seemed purposeless, but the purposeless orders were often the ones with the greatest importance. If he obeyed them, and looked for places to demonstrate his abilities, there was no telling what could happen. On the other hand, if he intently avoided doing so, Maya was sure to react unpleasantly. _Either way, it's a moot point,_ he thought, _as I'm not in any situation which would present such an opportunity._ He decided that he would leave those thoughts for another day.

"She's mean to you, Tatsuya," said Miyuki, once they were sure Maya was out of hearing.

"She's mean to you as well, Miyuki."

The siblings didn't get much alone time, as there was another knock on the door. They turned and saw a depressed Mayumi standing in the doorway.

"Please, come in, Chairwoman," Miyuki said. Mayumi walked in silently, then dropped to her knees at the foot of Miyuki's bed and started sobbing."

"I'm so sorry, Miyuki!" she cried. "This is all my fault...I pushed you into doing this, despite Tatsuya's warning that something like this could happen."

"Chairwoman, there's no need to apologize," Miyuki said. "After all, I was the one who signed up in spite of my brother - you didn't force me to do anything! I was perfectly aware of the risks." Hearing this, Mayumi then turned to Tatsuya.

"Regardless of what your sister says, Tatsuya, she wouldn't have been able to sign up in the first place had I not ignored your warning," she said, trying to wipe a tear from her eye. "As both a Saegusa and the President of the Student Council, I failed both you and Miyuki. I understand if you want nothing more to do with me, but please accept my apology." She bowed deeply. Tears dripped onto the floor. Tatsuya had no choice.

"Mayumi..." Tatsuya said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "you heard what Miyuki said. There's nothing to apologize for, but if it'll make you feel better, of course I accept your apology. If you go talk to Ms. Watanabe, I'm sure she'll feel the same way. Now, let's talk about something else...dwelling on this too much isn't good for you, Mayumi."

"But Tatsuya, I'm-"

"You are not responsible for this, Mayumi," Tatsuya said forcefully. "I know who is responsible, and believe me, their days are numbered. So let's talk about something else."

"What else is there to talk about?" Mayumi asked, taken aback by Tatsuya's insinuation that he was going to kill the party responsible.

"Details," Tatsuya replied. "I have yet to hear details of what happened. Please describe the accident for me, with as much detail as you can muster."

"Well, to begin with..." Mayumi said, wiping her eyes, "...it wasn't an accident. Miyuki..." she had to take a breath here, otherwise she would have started crying again. "Miyuki, Mari, and Jumonji were subjected to a Battering Ram attack inside a deserted building. They were together - they were blitzed right after the match began, impossible without Fourth High making a false start - and got buried under the rubble."

"I see...then the tournament staff is sure to be in a panic," said Tatsuya.

"Because they couldn't prevent them from making that false start?" asked Miyuki.

"That's not really much of an issue," replied Tatsuya. "Rather, because a case could be made that the direct cause of this accident was the fact that they set the starting point of this event in a decrepit abandoned building. My guess is that the tournament staff wants to call off the Rookie Division Monolith Code event itself."

"True, there were some calls for cancellation," said Mayumi, having regained her composure. Such a quick recovery time was necessary for the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan. "But the prelims are going on without us and Fourth High, anyway. Worst case scenario, we'll just have to forfeit our second preliminary match."

"Worst case or not, I don't think we have any choice but to forfeit," Tatsuya replied.

"Well, about that, Jumonji's negotiating right now," Mayumi said.

"Really?" asked Tatsuya. "That guy...he's freshly injured, and he's using it as a bargaining chip, I assume?" Mayumi nodded. "Speaking of, how was Jumonji injured in the first place? Couldn't he have used Phalanx to protect the team?"

"That's true," Mayumi replied. "I even asked him as much...he said that he tried to, but his CAD wouldn't work. Sound familiar?" She let this question hang there before continuing. "Tatsuya...I want you to know how horrible I feel about my involvement in this," she said. "I want to try to make it up to you and Miyuki-"

"Nonsense."

"What?"

"Mayumi, you have a responsibility to every single student here. You're their leader. It won't do to have their leader preoccupied with other matters during the remainder of this competition."

"But...Tatsuya..."

"If you want to make it up to me, focus on the NSC."

"But what about Miyuki?"

"I feel exactly the same, Chairwoman."

"I guess I have no choice, then," said Mayumi. "I will find a way to make this right, though...I promise you that, Shiba Tatsuya." She turned and walked to the door, before turning again to face the siblings. "By the way, I saw someone in a black cloak on my way in. Was that the same person you met with after the Blanche incident, Tatsuya?"

"Mayumi...we've talked about this..."

* * *

 **~That Night~**

The No-Head Dragons were meeting again.

"How did it turn out?"

"Just as we'd planned. First High has no choice but to withdraw from Monolith Code."

"Out of all the events, Monolith Code commands the most points. The points earned in the Rookie events may only be half that of the Official events, but they'll still feel the blow."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Hey, did you hear, Masaki?"

"Yeah, the First High Monolith Code team was wiped out by an illegal attack. The've postponed the remaining qualification matches - and the competition by extention - until the 10th."

"I'm not complaining, as our victory is pretty much assured, but don't you feel bad for them?"

"I heard that even though their injuries were severe, with the 'magic' of modern medicine, the team will be discharged tomorrow, but only Shiba will be able to compete - and not in time for the last Monolith Code qualification round."

"Are you glad she's okay?"

"Well, yeah. Even though she's our enemy at the moment, in the future she might prove to be a valuable ally."

"You call your future wife a 'valuable ally?' You're so romantic, Masaki."

"You're one to talk, Lina, considering that you practically confessed your love to Tatsuya when we talked with him."

"Oh, don't you start!"

* * *

 **~August 9th, 2095~**

"It's not as if your approach is going to change compared to the prelims," Tatsuya said to Honoka and the other Rookie Mirage Bat contestant. Miyuki had insisted on him returning to work, since he needed to get Miyuki's backups to the podium in just one day. They had already won the preliminary rounds during the daytime matches, and now it was time for the nighttime final. "At the end of the day, Mirage Bat is all about stamina. Under no circumstances should you try to wear down your opponents. All you need to do is to stay calm and pace yourselves. Both of you - as long as you focus on playing to your own strengths, you'll be fine. Don't worry. We've got a one-two finish in the bag."

"Right! Very well."

"Yeah, I hear you!"

Mirage Bat was a fairly simple game. Several players would stand on tall, wide pillars that protruded out of a circular pool of water, and holographic spheres - the 'mirages' in Mirage Bat - would be projected in the sky above these pillars. Using magic, girls would jump into the air and swat these spheres with a 'bat,' and the spheres would disappear, before reappearing after a set amount of time had passed. Whoever had the highest amount of mirages batted after the time limit was up won. Consequently, speed was a major element of Mirage Bat, and Tatsuya had figured that into First High's strategy: he made the Activation Sequences for the spells as small as possible, allowing Honoka and the other girl to cast the spells faster than the other girls. Using this strategy, First High easily won the Rookie Mirage Bat event; another victory for Shiba Tatsuya.

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki had both been called into a conference room at the behest of the Student Council. The entire Council, plus Jumonji, Kirihara, and Isori Kei was gathered around the table in the center, with some sitting and some standing.

"Miyuki, we'll start with you," Mayumi said. "Since the doctors say that you're okay to compete again, we're going to have you fill in for Mari in the Official Mirage Bat event."

"But, Chairwoman, there must be athletes who are entered in only one event. Why choose me, and not one of them?"

"It's simple," Mari interjected, "due to my own pride, we never had a backup for Mirage Bat, and you're the best rookie that we've got. Since we have the OK from the doc, we're going to use the best tool to get the job done."

"Very well, Ms. Watanabe, Chairwoman," Miyuki said. "I'll compete in the Official Mirage Bat."

"Hey, that went down easily!" Mari said. "I half-expected you to fight a little more than that. You Shiba types don't like promotion, after all."

"It's because I kind of assumed that something like this would happen in the back of my mind," explained Miyuki, though Maya's visit was closer to the front of her mind than the back. "Anyway, you said that you'd start with me...does that mean you want to speak to Tatsuya, as well?"

"Indeed," replied Mayumi. "First of all, good work today, Tatsuya. I know it must have been difficult to concentrate in light of Miyuki's condition, but First High appreciates your dedication. Also, the results you produced exceeded our expectations, and we thank you for that."

"It's thanks to the players and their efforts," Tatsuya said in response.

"Of course it's their achievement for working so hard," Mayumi admitted. "But every one of us here recognizes how significant your contribution was."

"Thank you very much."

"According to the current standings, First High is tops in points scored," Mayumi continued. "Third High is in second place, and in terms of just the Rookie events, they're fifty points behind us. Even if we were to withdraw from Monolith Code now, we'd be assured of a second-place finish in the Rookie Division. Before the Rookie events started, I would've been satisfied with that, but now that we've come this far, I'd like to shoot for first place in the Rookie events, as well. You know that Ichijou Masaki and Angelina Shields will be competing for Third High in Monolith Code. With those two teamed up, there's little chance that they'd suffer an upset in this tournament. Our plan was to face them with Miyuki, Jumonji, and Mari, but as the three of them can't return to Monolith Code due to their injuries, we are at an impasse. And so, Tatsuya... Can we ask you to compete in Monolith Code?"

"Would it be all right to ask you two questions?"

"Yes. What would they be?"

"The two remaining preliminary matches have been postponed until tomorrow, is that right?"

"That's right. In light of the situation, they've agreed to change tomorrow's schedule."

"I was under the impression that players couldn't be replaced even in the case of debilitating injury."

"They've made an exception for that as well."

"Why was I chosen?"

"Well, because I felt that you would be the best possible substitute."

"Mayumi - Chairwoman, are you trying to repay me for your involvment in Miyuki's accident?"

"Wha-what? No!" Mayumi said, aghast...but whether she was shocked that Tatsuya figured it out, or that he assumed something that wasn't true, no one knew. "But I'm not saying that I'm not going to repay you..." Her confusing doubly negative sentance trailed off into nothingness, and Mayumi sighed. "Tatsuya, just help me out here and just say yes. Please?"

"But, Chairwoman, aren't there Course 1 first year students who are only entered in one event? If they get passed up for a Course 2 student, it's sure to leave lasting psychological damage."

"Forget about your scores on the actual skills test," Mari interrupted. "In terms of live combat skills, you're probably number one among the first year students."

"Monolith Code isn't live combat," Tatsuya said pettily. "It's a Magic Competition in which physical attacks are banned."

"In terms of magic-only battle strength, too, I do think that you're in a class of your own," Mari replied.

"But I'm not a player," Tatsuya said as his last line of defense. "If it's a replacement you need, I'm sure-"

"Don't be such a child, Shiba!" Jumonji said with force. "We don't need a replacement, we need a winner. Besides, you're already a member of this team. Regardless of what role you're currently filling, you're one of twenty-one students chosen from among the two hundred first years. And due to our current crisis, our team leader, Saegusa, has chosen you as a substitute. As long as you're a member of this team, you'll fulfill your duty as a member."

"But-" Tatsuya objected.

"As long as you're a member, there'll be no defying our leader's decisions," Jumonji continued. "If you believe that one of those decisions is flawed, then those of us who serve as the leader's assistants will be the ones to block it. Aside from us, no other member has the right to raise any objections. That's right...no matter who they might be."

This caused Tatsuya to inwardly panic. _Has Jumonji discovered my identity?_

"Don't use your status as a Course 2 student as your way out," Jumonji said, clearing Tatsuya's worries. "Don't allow yourself to wallow in the ranks of the weak, Shiba. Substitute or not, as long as you've been chosen, then fulfill that mission."

Tatsuya's day of reckoning had come quicker than he expected. He was now forced between obeying Mayumi, and Maya by extension, risking unknown peril in the process, or disobey both Maya and Mayumi, and risk the known peril of Maya's wrath. _I don't trust Maya's plans at all,_ he thought, _and this surely isn't going to turn out well, but I don't see any other way to keep everybody safe._

"Very well," he said. "I'll carry out my duty." No one else except Miyuki understood, or even recognized, Tatsuya's double entendre. "So who are the other team members besides myself?"

"You decide yourself," Jumonji replied. "We'll leave the selection of the other two members to you. If you need time, then come back here in an hour."

"No, there's no need for that," Tatsuya said. "But...I'm not sure that they'll agree to do it."

"We'll be present if you need to 'persuade' them," Jumonji said.

"Can it be anybody?" asked Tatsuya. "Even if I choose from outside the team?"

"I don't think that would be-" Mayumi began, before Jumonji cut her off.

"It's fine," he said. "We've already made enough exceptions for this. Especially with the special rules concerning non-first year and female participants; one or two more exceptions won't matter."

"Jumonji..." muttered Mayumi.

"Then my picks are Saijo Leonhard of Class 1-E, and Saegusa Mayumi of Class 3-A," Tatsuya said with a grin.

"What? Me?" blurted out Mayumi. "Why was I chosen?"

"Because I felt that you would be the best possible person for a teammate," Tatsuya replied, smiling. Mayumi, meanwhile, was upset at having her own words turned back at her.

"That's fine," said Jumonji.

"Tatsuya, would you mind telling us the reason why you chose Mr. Saijo and Mayumi?" Mari asked.

"Of course not," he replied. "Ms. Saegusa was a natural choice, seeing as how she is the only one of the top three magicians in the school who is not currently injured. Aside from that, our friendship will make for good teamwork. Likewise, Mr. Saijo and I are not only classmates, but also friends. He's also someone who Mayumi knows and has seen fight...just a few days ago, I gave him a new weapon that I designed, and Mayumi and I watched him test it. I think it'll be perfect for Monolith Code."

"Sheesh," sighed Mari. "Every time I think I know everything about you, I learn something new. So you're a magic weapon designer, too? Just who have you gotten yourself into, Mayumi?"

"M-Mari! Don't say things like that..." Mayumi stammered. "Tatsuya, do you really want me on your team?"

"Consider it my way of saying you're forgiven, that there's nothing to pay back."

"Tatsuya..."


	15. NSC Part 8

**[Episode 15: Nine Schools Competition - Part 8]**

"Hey, Tatsuya..." Leo said, after thinking for a second. "Seriously?"

"I'm afraid he is serious, Mr. Saijo," Mayumi replied with a sigh. "I still don't see why he chose me, and he's tried explaining it a dozen times. It just doesn't make sense!"

"It makes perfect sense to chose both of you," Tatsuya said. "Was I not clear? You're both incredibly talented, plus you have already met and seen each other use magic. That's a solid team, if you ask me."

"Tatsuya, did you just compare me to one of the most powerful members of the next generation of the Ten Master Clans?" asked Leo, aghast, before turning to Mayumi. "Oh, and by the way, since Tatsuya's intent on having us be teammates, please call me Leo."

"Likewise, Mayumi is fine," Mayumi replied.

"Leo, we're up against two extremely talented magicians," Tatsuya said seriously. "The very fact that Angelina Shields and Ichijou Masaki are teaming up together for this competition is a nearly criminal coincidence. But with that in mind, we have the upper hand - because of you."

"I'm not following," Leo said, shaking his head.

"Neither am I, Tatsuya," said Mayumi.

"If I can deal with Ichijou, and Mayumi can handle Ms. Shields," Tatsuya said, "then that leaves you fighting with their third member. He's nothing special - basically just a token member, since Ms. Shields and Ichijou are capable of winning every match on their own."

"So you're saying that we'll win because Leo is stronger than their defender?" asked Mayumi. "But what if we can't take Ichijou and Ms. Shields? That would leave Leo up against, as you said, two extremely talented magicians."

"Yeah, Tatsuya!" agreed Leo. "I really don't want to face those two alone."

"If everything goes to plan, you won't have to," replied Tatsuya. "And I do have a plan to defeat Ichijou, that is. Make him lower his guard so I can get close to him, then knock him out with a simple parlor trick."

"You make it sound easy," said Mayumi, "but how are you going to make him lower his guard?"

"That's the beauty of it, Mayumi," Tatsuya said. "You're going to do that by gaining the upper hand over Ms. Shields."

"So he'll be forced to help her," Leo said. "I see, so you're going to take turns being a distraction, so that the other person can advance on their target."

"Is that what I am to you, Tatsuya?" Mayumi asked. "Simply a distraction?"

"Mayumi..." Tatsuya sighed. "It's the only way to get close to both Ichijou and Ms. Shields, period. Though if you have a better idea, please, say so."

"Flying magic." Mayumi said this win a small grin, as if she had been waiting for Tatsuya to ask her opinion. "We use Flying Magic to surprise them, shock-and-awe style. We fly overhead, and use the sun as cover for a sneak attack...they can't look directly at the sun, so they won't be able to see us."

"What if it's overcast?" Tatsuya asked. "Or what if they wore shades, like the racers in Honoka's final?"

"We simply don't show our hand before the final match," Mayumi said. "As for cloud cover...well, I'm sure there are spells to deal with that."

"Hang on, hang on!" Leo said vehemently. "How can we even use Flying Magic in the first place? That Magic Sequence was only made public last month, and even then, there are hardly any engineers with enough experience to program it to a CAD!"

"We just happen to have a little help with that," Mayumi said, telling Tatsuya with her eyes to remain silent. "First High contacted Four Leaves Technology and submitted a request for Taurus Silver to program some of our competition CADs with Flying Magic, and surprisingly enough, they granted our request."

"What?!" Leo said. "What is going on? Is this a high school competition?"

"Not really, when you think about it, Leo," Tatsuya replied. "Even though they don't have a heavy presence here, the Ten Master Clans are watching to see how the power matchups turn out...that is, how various magicians relate to one another based on power level..." Tatsuya seemed to trail off into thought as he began to stare straight ahead. He had come to a realization.

"Tatsuya?" asked Mayumi. No response.

"Okay, that's it," said Leo. "I'm not sure that I can do this."

"Oh no," Tatsuya muttered, breaking his silence. "So that's what she's planning..."

"Tatsuya, did you say something?"

"No, Mayumi..." he lied. "Just out of curiosity, how much does this competition matter to you? As in, how sad would you be if I recommended that First High forfeits the Monolith Code event?"

"I'm sure I'd recover," Mayumi said, "but what would devastate me is that you would be breaking your word if you did that. You agreed to take on this responsibility, after all, so to back out would say a lot about your character."

"I would expect nothing less, Mayumi," Tatsuya said with a knowing smile. "As I expected such a response, I will make no complaint against tomorrow's match."

"Hold on, Tatsuya," said Leo. "Ms. Saegusa-Mayumi-I've known Tatsuya for quite a while now, and he's never been one to break his word. I'm sure that if he's thinking about recommending we withdraw, there must be a very, very good reason."

"That does sound like the Tatsuya I know..." agreed Mayumi. "He's probably keeping something to himself because he thinks he's protecting us."

"Well, Tatsuya, are we right?" asked Leo.

"And you two still doubt why I selected you for the team," Tatsuya said with a laugh. "Yes, I am keeping something from you, Mayumi, but since you want to win the Rookie Division, I'm not going to tell you and we're going to compete tomorrow."

"Wait, Tatsuya!" Mayumi said. "I'm fine with forfeiting the Monolith Code event if it's something _serious_ ," she said, stressing the word 'serious' to make a point.

"Everything is serious to someone," Tatsuya replied, "but the seriousness you're thinking of is only a part of the problem."

"Oh no," said Mayumi. "If that's only a part of the problem, I can understand why you are hesitant. The entire problem must be huge."

"Guys, I'm beginning to feel a little left out," said Leo. "It's clear that you're talking about something important, but I have no idea what you're actually talking about, and it's frustrating."

Tatsuya thought for awhile before answering.

"Leo, we have reason to believe that Angelina Shields is the Strategic-class magician known as Angie Sirius," he said solemnly. "That's what we were talking about."

"A Strategic-class magician?" exclaimed Leo. "Were you thinking about telling me this before or after we fought her?"

"Preferably never," admitted Tatsuya, "but since you asked..."

"Tatsuya, you're my friend, and I trust you," Leo began, "but will you please tell me exactly what your plan was to defeat a Strategic-class magician? I'm hoping you have one, and you weren't just going to leave it to Mayumi to figure out."

"Leo, being a Strategic-class magician isn't really a big deal," Tatsuya said, though the way he phrased it caught Mayumi's attention, as it almost sounded like he was talking about himself. "Strategic-class magic can't be used in the competition, not even from a distance, so it has no effect on us. What we should be concerned about is her casting speed."

"For you to say such a thing about Strategic-class magicians..." Mayumi said, "...suggests that you have dealt with them before in some manner. What aren't you telling us?"

"Make no mistake, Mayumi," Tatsuya said, "I am not telling you a lot of things. Those don't matter right now. What matters, as you said, is that I am going to keep my word and win the Monolith Code event for you."

"Tatsuya..." Mayumi said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get into all of this again..."

"Should I leave you two alone?" Leo asked.

"Leo, don't become like Ms. Chiba," Mayumi said. "It's just...are you only doing this for me, Tatsuya?"

"If it weren't for you, and the promise I made you, Mayumi," Tatsuya said, "I would not take part in the competition tomorrow."

"Then forget about the promise. I won't hold you to it. Not if it means great danger for all of us - which is, I'm assuming, the result that you're trying to avoid."

"That's very generous, Mayumi, but I cannot do that," Tatsuya said. "If I did, I think Jumonji would murder me; but aside from that, I gave you my word. That doesn't change depending on whether you accept it or not. Besides, even though the consequences may be bad, I'll clean it up. It'll take some work, but it shouldn't be too hard. Hopefully."

"Tatsuya..."

"Now, I hope we've put this matter to rest, then?" he asked. "And I take it you both are still on board for the match, right?"

"Hai."

"Hai."

"Then tomorrow, we'll hold an in-depth strategy meeting," Tatsuya said. "Though, in terms of basic formation - I'm sure you've figured this out already - Leo, I want you on defense."

"No problem," he replied. "But what exactly does a defender do?"

"You protect your own Monolith from enemy attacks," Tatsuya replied. "You do know what you have to do to win Monolith Code, don't you?"

"Either knock out the other team, or else enter the code hidden inside the Monolith into a terminal, right?"

"Right," Tatsuya said, "and in order to read that hidden code, you need to fire a special Magic Sequence with a maximum range of ten meters at the Monolith."

"Meaning that the defense's job is to keep the enemy from getting within ten meters of the Monolith," Leo reasoned. "And to jam up the enemy so they can't read the code even if they do cast that special spell at the Monolith."

"That's right," Tatsuya said.

"But how do we hold off the enemy?" Leo asked. "We can't use physical attacks, right? I mean, I'm so bad at Remote Attack Spells it's not even funny."

"This is something Tatsuya brought up during the meeting earlier," Mayumi said. "He was thinking of having you use that Fortification Sword thing that you trained with the other day."

"Direct attacks without the use of magic are off-limits," Tatsuya explained, "but using a spell to hurl a mass at the enemy wouldn't be a violation."

"I see," Leo said, excited at the prospect of using the sword in a real-life combat environment.

"Next, I'd like you to handle offense, Mayumi," Tatsuya said. "Specifically, I'd like you to press the enemy so that they don't have any time to look for other threats."

"Like your strategy for Ms. Shields," Mayumi said. "So I take it you're going to be attacking from their blind spots while I'm distracting them?"

"In other words, guerilla tactics," Tatsuya responded. "We'll each be one-half of a pincer attack. While you're keeping them busy, I'll sneak around behind them using Ninjutsu skills and disable them."

"That is, if I can't take care of them on my own," Mayumi said, narrowing her eyes. "What you seem to forget is that I am a very capable magician myself, and that Ichijou and Ms. Shields will probably be the only opponents that I might need help with."

"I see," Tatsuya said. "In that case, would you like to have a secondary competition going on during each match? A race, perhaps? To see who can knock out the other team faster?"

"Okay," Mayumi said with a smile. "But only as long as it doesn't interfere with us actually winning the match. And, as you never ruled out using Flying Magic, I will be using that to take every advantage I can get."

"About that..."

* * *

 **~August 10th, 2095~**

It was time for their first round of Monolith Code - the qualification round against Eighth High School, played on a forest stage. Each member of Tatsuya's team was decked out in black protective gear. Watching from the stands, Fujibayashi Kyouko wondered if it was a subconscious choice on Tatsuya's part, or if he simply liked fighting in black. After all, the combat suit that he wore during the Okinawa invasion, not to mention its redesigned counterpart, was as black as the night and all the more intimidating for it. Kyouko was not the only member of the Kudou family watching this round, however...Angelina Shields and Ichijou Masaki were also watching from the sidelines.

"There he is," Lina said, spotting Tatsuya.

"You're right," Masaki replied. "I never thought he'd appear as a player, though. Let's see what he's capable of."

As Mayumi was advancing on the enemy Monolith and Leo was protecting their own, Tatsuya was skirting Mayumi's course and trying to ambush the other team. Spotting one, he used his ninjutsu skills to rush the kid, moving so fast that he couldn't be targeted properly. He lined up a spell - Resonance - and cast it, the vibrations causing his opponent to drop to his knees. But his opponent was still standing, metaphorically speaking, and as Tatsuya ran past towards the enemy Monolith, the enemy raised his CAD and prepared to cast a spell. Without even flinching, Tatsuya aimed his CAD behind him and shot a Psion bullet at the enemy's CAD, destroying the magic sequence. To everyone, such powerful counter-magic was a shock, though few actually knew what it was. It was safe to say, however, that those in the know were also shocked because of the power required to use that specific counter-magic.

"Don't tell me that was Gram Demolition?" exclaimed Lina. "That's unexpected...not even I have enough Psions to cast that."

Mari, having taken up leadership of First High in Mayumi's absence, was watching from the command tent. She recognized the spell...the effects of it, at least. She didn't really know what it was, so she resolved to show Mayumi the tape after the match and get her opinion on it.

After indeed casting Gram Demolition, Tatsuya had run towards the enemy Monolith and cast the special spell at it. Immediately, the upper back half of the Monolith separated from the base and fell backwards, revealing a glowing code etched into the middle of the Monolith. He decided to end the match then and there, given that he didn't want to have to reveal too many of his abilities before the match with Third High, and so he knelt down at the base of the Monolith and began inputting the 512-character code - easily the most boring part of Monolith Code. As he did that, the nearby enemy player picked up his CAD, having dropped it when Tatsuya cast Gram Demolition, and began moving towards the Monolith. Tatsuya simply paused for a second and cast Gram Demolition again, greatly hindering the enemy's ability to cast spells, before resuming his work on the code. Tatsuya could have easily used Decomposition to destroy the enemy's CAD and eliminate the threat altogether, but Decomposition was a Rank A lethal spell that couldn't be used.

Frustrated at his inability to cast magic thanks to Gram Demolition, the enemy threw down his CAD and charged at Tatsuya, intending to knock him out through a physical attack - a violation of the rules of Monolith Code. Tatsuya saw this attack coming, however, thanks to Elemental Sight, and so was prepared to counter-strike. Swiftly dodging the enemy's attack with his master-level ninjutsu skills, he positioned himself behind the enemy and grabbed him by the soldier. _Those who use the sword shall die by the sword,_ Tatsuya thought. _He was willing to use a physical attack, so he was willing to be physically attacked himself._ With that thought in mind, he spun the other boy around and pulled him forward while extending his leg, tripping the boy and giving Tatsuya the opportunity to knee him in the gut. The boy fell to the ground, unable to breathe for a few seconds, before passing out. Tatsuya checked his pulse to make sure he was alright, then continued entering the remainder of the Monolith Code. When he was done, a buzzer sounded.

"Looks like it's game over," Masaki commented. "Lina, how would you take him on?"

"I can't shake the feeling that he's totally battle-tested," Lina said. "The way he carries himself, his anticipation, his positioning...it's a lot like yours, Masaki, but faster. More agile. If you ask me, we should be more wary of his combat skills than his magic skills."

"And how are his magic skills?" asked Masaki.

"Let's see..." Lina said. "I was stunned by that Spell Dismantling, as it looked a lot like Gram Demolition, but as for that Resonance...despite setting up an impeccable ambush, it wasn't enough to knock his opponent unconscious. I'm guessing that he's unable to wield magic that powerful, meaning that counter-magic is nothing more than a Gram Demolition knock off. I don't think we need to be wary of anything, except maybe that Spell Dismantling, as it might be a problem depending on how fast he can cast it. What you do need to watch out for is falling into his traps."

"Meaning that there's no reason to fear a frontal assault?"

"Right. How to force him into a head-to-head...if we can figure that out, we'll win. Easily. Even considering his partnering with Saegusa Mayumi, our victory is almost a dead certainty."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Mayumi! Over here!"

"Oh, hi, Mari! What did you think? Tatsuya was pretty good, wasn't he? Looks like I made the right choice!"

"Mayumi, there's something you need to see..."

They watched a replay of the match.

"Mayumi, what was that counter magic he used? It looked a lot like whatever cancelled the spells during the car accident on the way here."

"Indeed. They look the same, though they are different spells," Mayumi replied with a sigh. "I had almost moved past that, Mari, and was just beginning to trust Tatsuya again..."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry if I've spoiled your love life by asking," Mari said sarcastically.

"M-Mari! That was mean! If you're going to be like that, I'm not going to tell you what the spell is called."

"You know what, upon consideration, that was a really mean thing for me to say, Mayumi. I'm so sorry. Do you forgive me?"

"Good enough, I suppose."

"Well, what's it called?"

"Gram Demolition. Spell dismantling...bullets made of compressed Psion particles are fired directly at the target, bypassing the Idea Dimension, and detonate. Any Psion information bodies with magic information recorded onto them, like extra Activation Sequences or Magic Sequences, are blasted away. Aside from its short range, it has no real flaws. Among counter-magic spells in actual use, it's the most powerful, but hardly anyone can use it."

"Then what's the other spell you mentioned?"

"Gram Dispersion. It analyzes a magic sequence and reduces it to simply meaningless data...anything related to that magic sequence reverts back to its natural state."

"That sounds like it's more powerful than Gram Demolition."

"It is, except that it's impossible to use because of CAD-accelerated casting speeds."

"But it wouldn't be impossible for someone who could, say, read and analyze a Magic Sequence as it was being cast?"

"Exactly."

"I can see why this made you suspicious of Tatsuya... How come almost no one can use Gram Demolition, then?"

"The bullets fired by that spell may be small, but they contain an extraordinary amount of Psions...it's necessary for them to be able to travel in the physical realm. Most magicians simply don't have the Psion count to cast it, including both you and I."

"Then...that means...Tatsuya must be...oh, boy..." Mari said, sitting down. "This is just too much...he's Taurus Silver, the magic engineering genius who solved one of the Three Major Puzzles of Weight-Based Magic by inventing Flying Magic, let alone hundreds of other advancements in the magic engineering field. Not only that, but he has a Psion count high enough to cast Gram Demolition, and he somehow has the ability to read Magic Sequences as they're being cast, giving him the ability to cast Gram Dispersion as well."

"There's more," said Mayumi. "When we went and destroyed that Blanche hideout, he cast some spells which were...hideous, to say the least. One allowed him to instantly destroy the nervous system of his target, and another allowed him to heal them - like no damage had been done in the first place. When I asked what they were, all he said was that he had been born with them."

"He's...almost like a superweapon," Mari said. "He's probably on the level of a Strategic-class magician, just without Strategic-class magic. At the very least, he's an incredibly powerful soldier, especially against magicians, it seems."

"Whenever I ask him about any of that, he always says some variant of the same excuse. Something about protecting those he cares about, and that he would tell me if he could."

"At least he's implying that he cares for you."

"But can I care for him if I don't know who he is?"

"That is the question, isn't it?"

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

It was time for their second Monolith Code match, this time against Second High. The stage had been changed - they were in an abandoned building, like the one Miyuki, Mari, and Jumonji had been in when they were attacked. Earlier that morning, Tatsuya had created a specific strategy to use if a stage like this was selected...he blinked.

It may not have seemed like much, but to the trained observer, Tatsuya had used Elemental Sight to locate the enemy's Monolith and simultaneously locate the enemy players. It was a risk, potentially revealing himself to Lina and Masaki, but it was the quickest way to win.

"Opposite corner. Two guarding, one advancing," Tatsuya said.

"Guard," said Leo, which indicated that he would guard their Monolith.

"Distract," Mayumi said with a frown, meaning that she would lure the enemies away from their Monolith. She still didn't like being a distraction, though.

Everyone played their parts perfectly. The one enemy who was advancing encountered Leo, and was swiftly eliminated. Mayumi, meanwhile, advanced to the enemy Monolith, cast a couple of spells to get their attention, then allowed herself to be "cornered" some distance away from the Monolith to give Tatsuya the opportunity to sneak in. He cast the spell and started typing the code...but before he was done, the finish bell rang. Using Elemental Sight, he looked over at Mayumi, and saw that she had lost her patience and eliminated the two remaining players. This caused Tatsuya, who had forgotten about their side competition, to smile at Mayumi's eagerness.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Major Yamanaka and Fujibayashi Kyouko were watching the match from a conference room inside the hotel.

"I can understand not using Decomposition, but isn't he cutting too many corners by not using Flash Cast as well?" the Major asked.

"He must have a reason for wanting to keep them under wraps," Kyouko responded. "You do know that, don't you? But I'm pretty sure that he'll end up using Flash Cast. He'll be playing in the final next. After all, even he can't very well battle the Prince and my cousin armed only with a low-spec CAD.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki were on their way back from an early lunch after Tatsuya's second victory in Monolith Code.

"Tatsuya, the semifinal starts at 1 P.M. I think you should get a little rest..."

"No, there's Third High's match at noon," Tatsuya replied. "I can't afford to miss it."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Erika's loud voice.

"Brother Tsugu!" she said - or rather, shouted. "What are you doing in a place like this? You're supposed to be in Thailand on business until next week, as a kenjutsu instructor!" Tatsuya and Miyuki looked over and saw Chiba Naotsugu standing next to Watanabe Mari - his girlfriend - as well as Erika, who had approached them. "Why did you come here?"

"Erika..." Naotsugu said, visibly embarassed. "Calm down a little."

"Brother, I don't want to believe it," Erika began, "but you have left your duties to meet up with this woman, haven't you?" She extended an accusatory finger towards Mari.

"No..." he replied weakly. "I told you, settle down... I didn't abandon my duties to come here, all right?"

"Erika, at school I'm still your senior, you know," Mari chimed in. "Calling me 'this woman' is out of line."

"Ever since you got involved with this woman, you've become corrupted, Brother Tsugu!" Erika said, heedless of Mari's authoritative comment. "A master of Chiba Style Kenjutsu like yourself, forsaking his training for cheap magic tricks!"

"Erika!" Naotsugu said forcefully, startling both Erika and Mari. "Honing your skills means constantly incorporating new techniques. That's why I'm doing this. Mari had nothing to do with it. As for today, I was beside myself hearing about Mari's injury. That's all there is to it." Mari blushed, hearing this. "As it is, you're the one who should feel shame as a daughter of the Chiba family for your rude behavior and remarks. Come on, Erika, apologize to Mari and end this. People are starting to stare," he said, motioning with his head towards Tatsuya and Miyuki. Both Mari and Erika turned and saw them, and they both turned the same shade of red.

"Well, what are standing over there for?" Erika said, obviously still annoyed. "Come meet my big brother Naotsugu and his lovely, charming, corrupting girlfriend. Oh wait - you work for her."

"Erika, don't you think that's rude to Ms. Watanabe?" Tatsuya asked. "Even if you don't like her, the least you can do is be respectful and apologize."

"Or, at the very least, introduce us," Miyuki added.

"Oh, my _apologies_ ," Erika said sarcastically. "Naotsugu, meet Shiba Miyuki and Shiba Tatsuya. Tatsuya's my classmate and a member of this woman's disciplinary committee, and Miyuki is on the Student Council...also with this woman."

"Oh, so you're the Shiba Tatsuya that I've heard so much about," Naotsugu said. "I, unlike my stubborn sister, apologize for this unseemly display...needless to say, Erika does not approve of my relationship with Mari."

"Consider it forgotten," replied Tatsuya. "Am I to take it that either Erika or Mari have told you about me?"

"Both, believe it or not," said Naotsugu, to Erika and Mari's dismay. "Anytime you do something interesting, word always reaches me through these two. They're more alike than they'd care to admit."

"Naotsugu, compare me to this woman one more time..."

"Erika," said Miyuki, trying to change the subject away from the Chiba family drama, "just because you're with us, that's no reason to start calling him something else. It's Brother Tsugu, isn't it?" This embarrassed Erika, to Mari's delight.

"Oh, hey, forget about that! That's so not me, all right?"

"I get it," said Mari, seizing an opportunity. "You're so protective of Shu because you adore him, don't you?"

"I do not!" Erika was almost shouting at this point.

"To quote the ancient poet William Shakespeare," Tatsuya said, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"So, how long have you adored him?" asked Miyuki. "I bet he's been your favorite brother since you were little..."

"What does it matter, Miyuki?" Erika said angrily. "At least I have a relationship with my brother. One that goes back further than a month."

Erika's tactlessness had reached a new level, and effectively killed the conversation. Everyone was speechless - they were shocked that Erika would say such a thing - and Erika immediately knew that she had made a mistake as soon as the words left her mouth. She hung her head in shame. Naotsugu was embarrassed for Erika, Mari was embarrassed for Naotsugu, and Tatsuya was embarrassed for Mari; after all, she was an outside party of sorts, and probably felt slightly out of place. Tatsuya was right, though luckily Mari possessed enough tact to act on politeness and not her feelings.

"Let's go, Shu," she said. "I'm sure Erika will want to talk to the Shibas alone. You can talk with her later."

"Good idea, Mari," he replied. "I've been meaning to watch some of the competitions anyway...though before that, would you care to join me for lunch?"

After they had left, Erika looked up, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Tatsuya, Miyuki, I'm..."

"Erika..." Miyuki began, but she was cut off by Tatsuya.

"What you said was out of line, Erika. There's no getting around that."

"Tatsuya, don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"What do you want me to say, Miyuki?"

"That we forgive her!"

"Of course we forgive her!" Tatsuya replied. "But she needs to understand how much that might hurt other siblings."

"I do, Tatsuya," Erika said, "and I'm sorry. I really am. I let my mouth get out of control again...I should probably work on that..."

"Not a bad idea," said Tatsuya. "But I meant what I said. We forgive you. Though I think you need to have a talk with your brother."

"I'll go find him."

"While he's with Ms. Watanabe?" Miyuki asked.

"If I'm going to be apologizing, best to get that out of the way as well," replied Erika. "Thank you...again, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to hurt you..."

"It's fine, Erika," Tatsuya said. "Just be more careful next time."

Erika went to go find Naotsugu - and Mari as well, unfortunately - so Tatsuya and Miyuki were alone in the room.

"Tatsuya, it's unlike you to snap like that. Did what she said really hurt you that much?"

"It's funny, Miyuki. I can recover from nearly any physical damage whatsoever, but that..."

"I know, Tatsuya. I felt it too. I feel like it's my fault, for not embracing you as my brother when we first met again. It took a lot of convincing to show me that you aren't the defect that the Yotsuba label you as."

"It's through no fault of yours that we were separated so," Tatsuya replied. "It was entirely the decision and will of Yotsuba Maya for us to be raised, independently, in different households - me with Maya, you with Honami. It was entirely a strategic move."

"Pledge, right? Since I can disable the mental interference magic Pledge, which serves as a lock on your powers, they needed to make sure that I would never do so voluntarily."

"Exactly, Miyuki. But that can mean only one thing."

"They're afraid of you."

"They're afraid of us. You are unrivaled among the Yotsuba, which is why you're a candidate to succeed Maya as the head of the family."

"Which means we can take them down."

"If we play our cards right, yes," Tatsuya said. "I've been working on something which can give me an edge if it ever comes to that."

"When it comes to that, you mean."

"I sincerely hope it doesn't, since it would mean that I would have to kill our entire family. I know they're evil, diabolical, manipulative, secretive, and extremely dangerous, but they are our family. Once we go down that road, we will be the only two Yotsuba who remain alive."

"What about Honami?"

"I don't think she'd call herself a Yotsuba, and I'm sure that she would relish the chance to be free of her duties - the duties that were assigned to her since birth."

"But she'll live, right?"

"Yes, Miyuki, of course Honami will live. But I can't make any other guarantees about the rest of the family, aside from the fact that all who try to harm us will certainly perish."

They were silent for a minute as the implications of this sunk in.

"So what's our next move?"

"I think that you should find a husband. A suitor, at least. Someone to publicly align yourself with so that the Yotsuba don't have a claim to you."

"You sound like you have someone in mind."

"I do have some suggestions, yes, but I'm only going to tell you if you specifically ask me to. It is your choice, after all; I'm not going to be our oba-sama and force you to marry someone."

"What about you? Are wedding bells in your future with Mayumi?"

"Miyuki, I really don't think-"

"So you're definitely interested in her," Miyuki said with a playful smile. "That's good to know. Aren't you glad that Erika left? It would have been a nightmare if she heard that."

"I'm not sure Mayumi would want to marry me as I am."

"Who cares? It's not like you're going to propose to her this week or anything. Anyway, don't you have a Monolith Code match to watch?"

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

It was time for Third High's last Monolith Code match before the final - this would be Tatsuya's only opportunity to observe their style and strategy before the final round started. Ichijou was advancing steadily toward the enemy Monolith, with Lina and the third team member defending their own Monolith. Their enemy used magic to hurl boulders at Ichijou - Masaki didn't even flinch. He cast a spell, and the boulders stopped in mid air, then exploded. Masaki kept walking. The enemy changed tactics, and tried hurling smaller rocks at Masaki with greater speed - Masaki still didn't flinch. The rocks simply bounced off an invisible shield that surrounded him.

"Interference Armor, huh?" observed Tatsuya. "I thought that Movement-Type Area Interference Magic was the Jumonji clan's specialty."

Masaki walked past one of the enemy players, ignoring him. The enemy decided to make a break for Third High's Monolith, but he didn't even take one step before Masaki knocked him unconscious with an explosion of rocks.

"Take that!" one of the enemy said, raising his CAD in retaliation. Boulders began levitating, then split apart into smaller fragments and began circling Masaki, forming a hovering ring of rocks. Masaki cast a spell, and lightning appeared at his feet and covered his entire body. The ring of rocks then collapsed inward...the enemy was trying to imprison Masaki by forming a cage of pure stone around him. It seemed to work for a second, but then the rocks exploded outward in a burst of lightning. Masaki cast the same spell that he used on the first player, and the remaining two enemy players were knocked unconscious by an explosion of rocks. Third High won the round.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Jumonji Katsuto and Saegusa Mayumi were watching the match from First High's command tent.

"He's exceeded our expectations, that Ichijou prince," Mayumi said as the round concluded. "Somehow, his style seemed similar to yours, Jumonji."

"I don't know if he's intentionally mimicking my style or not," Jumonji replied, "but it's definitely a challenge to Shiba, who's daring him to trade gunfire head-on."

"A challenge?"

"And Shiba is sure to take the bait."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

 _So he's going to lure me into head-to-head combat by deliberately opening himself up?_ Tatsuya thought. _But this puts us in a bind, since taking the bait gives us our greatest chance for victory. Impressive, Crimson Prince and Angie Sirius..._

"Seriously, he's got us..." Tatsuya said with a sigh.

"Totally! What kind of defensive power is that?" Leo agreed. "Not even getting a glimpse of any other players' hands besides Ichijou's is another blow..."

"The one I'm worried about is Ms. Shields," replied Tatsuya. "All I've heard from the other matches is that she's untouchable. Nothing can hit her...and she doesn't use any protective magic, like Ichijou did. It's weird."

"Maybe I can help with that!" Tatsuya turned to see Fujibayashi Kyouko standing behind him. "It's Ancient Magic developed by the Kudou family called Parade. It rewrites the location and appearance data of the Eidos. Because the projected person is ultimately an illusion, magic can't target them."

"That's seriously overpowered," said Leo. "A spell that hides the caster, creates a false image, and renders the caster invulnerable to magic? Seriously, how are we going to beat that?" He was too worried about Parade to wonder about who Kyouko was - if Erika had been there, she surely would have taken the opportunity to emphasize just how stupid Leo was.

"You'd be surprised at how much overpowered magic there is in the world," Tatsuya said. "But really, it depends on your point of view. Parade's seeming invulnerability leaves the caster open to attack in other areas."

"What areas?"

"I'll tell you later," he replied. "But before we start worrying about Parade and the Prince, we've got that match against Ninth High. Let's go find Mayumi."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Tatsuya, Mayumi, and Leo's next Monolith Code match was the semifinal against Ninth High, set in a canyon stage. Tatsuya borrowed Leo's sword and set upon the enemy with his ninjutsu skills, as the "no physical attacks" rule didn't apply when he used the Fortification Sword. He was aware that Mayumi was also attacking the enemy as well and, as expected, she was prevailing. The match was over in no time.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Mayumi walked out on the balcony of the hotel where the schools were staying during the NSC in order to gather energy from Mt. Fuji before the final match. She was surprised to find Erika there already.

"Oh, hello, Ms. Chiba...what are you doing here?"

"Admiring the view. It's rare that us city girls get to see Mt. Fuji in such a raw environment as this. What about you, Chairwoman? Why are you here on your own? This is usually a couples' retreat."

 _She didn't call me by my name_ , Mayumi thought.

"Same as you, Ms. Chiba. There truly is a spectacular view up here. And I believe Tatsuya is going over strategy with Leo."

"Funny how your mind immediately jumps to Tatsuya when I said 'couples.' ...Do you feel it?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You came to suffuse yourself with energy, right? So are you feeling it?"

"It looks like you've deduced my true purpose, Ms. Chiba."

"I take it that you didn't invite Tatsuya up here because you didn't want him to see how scared you are?"

"Sc-scared? Ms. Chiba, you forget yourself..."

"Why else would a very powerful magician, like yourself, be restoring her energy unless she was scared that she couldn't win?"

Mayumi thought for a minute.

"I suppose that you're right, in a sense. We're up against an enemy that is quite literally unstoppable, and our team consists of two Course 2 students plus myself. I'm not saying anything about Course 2 students...at least, nothing that they themselves wouldn't admit to. We've been able to win so far with creativity and Tatsuya's physical skills, but I'm not sure if that will be enough to win this next battle."

"You underestimate Tatsuya."

"No, I think I have a pretty good grasp on what he can do-"

"You weren't there that day, were you?"

"Huh?"

"In the gymnasium, when Morisaki Shun nearly died."

"I saw the incident on tape, but no, I wasn't there."

"It's not anything tangible, but the way Tatsuya acted felt like he was in control of the entire situation. He acts the same way about Monolith Code, so I'm sure it will be fine."

"Thank you for reassuring me, Ms. Chiba."

"Please, if I'm reassuring you, then you can call me Erika."

"Thank you, Erika."

"You're welcome, Mayumi."

"Erika, I never said...oh, never mind. It's useless to argue, isn't it?"

"You're finally catching on! I'm sure we'll be great friends in no time."

"I...look forward...to it..." Luckily for Mayumi, her phone rang. "Oh, look! Tatsuya's calling. I'd better go."

"I'll see you around, Mayumi!"

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"So what did you summon me for, Tatsuya?" Mayumi and Tatsuya were standing at the entrance to one of the unused venues - in other words, they were standing somewhere where they wouldn't be seen by prying eyes.

"There's someone I want you to meet, Mayumi." As Tatsuya was speaking, Kokonoe Yakumo stepped out from behind a pillar. He had with him a silver suitcase - as showy as one would expect from Yakumo.

"Ah! The lovely Saegusa Mayumi! I've heard all about you. I've never seen Tatsuya so verbose as when he's talking about you!"

"R-Really?" Both Mayumi and Tatsuya blushed at this.

"Well, kind of. He has told me about you, which, for Tatsuya, is being verbose. I just wanted to see your reactions, and let me say - you two are totally falling for each other!"

"Master, I'm sure you're here for a reason..." Tatsuya said, trying to change the subject. "You're almost worse than Erika," he muttered under his breath.

"Down to business immediately, then?" Yakumo said with a sigh. "Since I can't have you two lovebirds dying on me - metaphorically speaking, of course - I've come to give you some trinkets I made that will help you in the final round."

"Oh, have you been paying attention to Monolith Code, Mr. Kokonoe?" Mayumi asked.

"I have! Tatsuya's my best student, and I heard a rumor that he would be showing off my teaching, so I couldn't afford to miss it!"

"While you're here, Master, might I make a request?" asked Tatsuya.

"Sure. What can I do for you? Aside from giving you these nifty little things," Yakumo replied, patting the suitcase.

"Can you find out where No Head Dragons' base is located?"

"My, my, Tatsuya! I'm impressed that you know about them. I actually have their location written down back at the temple. I'll meet you tomorrow with the information."

"Thank you, Master."

When Tatsuya and Mayumi were headed back to the hotel, obnoxious silver suitcase in hand, Mayumi spoke up.

"So, Tatsuya, who are the No Head Dragons? Are they the organization that's been targeting us?"

"You're free to make that inference."

"Since you're being so cold about it, I'm going to _infer_ that the answer is yes. So what do you have in mind for the No Head Dragons?"

"Just a little test of a new project of mine. Something that might come in handy some day."

"Can you give me an idea of what it is?"

"I can give you the name of the spell, since this is something I'm developing on my own time, and not for any third party."

"Oh, so it's not locked behind multiple layers of secrecy? Coming from you, that's a surprise. So it's a spell...what's it called?"

"Baryon Lance."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"So the final will be played on the Open Plains stage?"

"We've lucked out, Masaki."

"All we have to do now is see if he takes the bait..."

"I think he'll take it. With no obstructions on the Open Plains stage, he'll have no chance of winning unless he engages in a head-on, one-on-one shootout."

"Precisely because he's got the Gram Demolition trump card, he'll have no choice but to use that as his way out, huh?"

"Exactly, Masaki. This will seal our victory in Monolith Code."

"Right. Let's do it."


	16. NSC Part 9

**[Episode 16: Nine Schools Competition - Part 9]**

"What the heck is this?" Leo asked, holding a dark black collared mantle - it was technically just a cape, but since it was for magicians, it was called a mantle.

"I would phrase it differently, but I am also wondering what these are," Mayumi said, holding a similar garment.

"Master Kukonoe sent them over," Tatsuya replied. "I was able to quickly inscribe magic circles on those mantles in the last thirty minutes."

"Magic circles?" Leo asked.

"Right," Tatsuya affirmed. "They'll operate under the same theory as Engraving Magic via an Ancient Magic medium. Those two have the supplementary effects of enhancing the potency of the wearer's magic, specifically Fortification Magic and Flying Magic."

"I get why Leo would want this," Mayumi said, "but why do I need one? I rarely use Fortification Magic."

"Because of the other toy I got today," Tatsuya said. "I designed these after the success of the Fortification Sword - take a look." He opened a case and slid it across the table to Mayumi.

"Arrows?"

"Yeah. Now look in that side compartment."

"Smaller arrows?"

"This is a large-scale, omnidirectional attack system," Tatsuya explained. "When the spell is activated, each arrow will be linked to its smaller counterpart with Fortification Magic. Using a modified Flying Spell - Directed Flying Magic - the user then manipulates the smaller arrows, and the actions are mimicked by the large arrows. But because of the differences in distance and scale, the large arrows move much faster than the smaller ones."

"Wow, Tatsuya," said Leo. "I didn't know that such an application of magic was possible. To be honest, I'm even impressed that you managed to modify Flying Magic and get it to work." This caused Mayumi to snicker under her breath, which Leo decided to ignore. "So, who gets to use it?"

"In accordance with the strategy I created for the final round, Mayumi will be the one to use it," Tatsuya replied. "The mantles will strengthen all magic, but the boosts to Fortification and Flying Magic will help you both manage your weapons. The committee's already checked our devices, so there's no violation here."

"Tatsuya, I'm impressed," Mayumi said. "But you do know that the final is going to be held on the Open Plains stage, right?"

"Right."

"You're going to have to take on Ichijou, whose forte is bombardment, on an open field with no cover...please, please tell me that you have another ingenious weapon that will help you. Or, if you don't, at least tell me that you'll be all right..."

"Mayumi, _I_ am the weapon," Tatsuya said seriously. "If he were to fight using his normal tactics, to be honest, we wouldn't stand a chance against him, but since Ichijou seems to be inordinately obsessed with me...if I can force him into close combat, there's a chance."

"Brawling is forbidden, though," Mayumi replied. "The only reason you got away with it in the first match is because the other player initiated the fight in the first place."

"I just have to keep my hands off him," Tatsuya replied. "There is a way."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

There were less than thirty minutes left before the Rookie Monolith Code final match - the last match of the day. Tatsuya was outside the First High Command Tent, using ninjutsu training exercises to get ready for the match. _I've prepared,_ he thought. _I've done all that I could. Still, if this were an actual battlefield, and we were to clash with no limitations on either side, facing Ichijou and Angie Sirius at the same time would be risky...no, even if Angie Sirius was my only opponent, at this moment the only way I could beat him is with a Baryon Lance surprise attack - neutralize her before she could cast Parade._ His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Tatsuya, here's a towel," Miyuki said.

"Thanks," he said in return, accepting the towel and wiping the sweat from his face.

"Brother..." Miyuki began, being unusually familiar. "It's nearly time for the final. I know that your next opponents will be quite formidable..."

"Yes, that's true," he admitted.

"And you must fight with your powers and skills restricted..." Miyuki said sadly. "Are you sure that you don't want me to remove the Pledge temporarily? We can say that I just hadn't restored it after the accident yet-"

"Miyuki," Tatsuya said, cutting her off. "There are only a handful of spells that I will be casting today, and I don't think I'll have much trouble with them. There's no need to anger her without cause, especially considering our future plans."

"Tatsuya?" Both Tatsuya and Miyuki turned to see Mayumi standing at the entrance of the tent. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," they both said in unison.

"This is really getting old, Tatsuya," Mayumi said. "I'm just going to pretend that I didn't hear anything - even though your abilities are restricted and you're afraid of someone - just because I don't want to get into this again."

"I appreciate it, Mayumi," Tatsuya replied.

"But mark my words: when the final is over, no matter the outcome, I want a full explanation. Of everything. And I mean everything."

"Chairwoman, don't you think that's kind of dangerous?" Miyuki asked. "After all, you wouldn't want anybody to get hurt..."

"What's this?" said Mayumi. "You seem to be a little too forward with me, Miyuki. Are you implying threats against your leader?"

"N-No..."

"Good. Then I'll remind you - I am the leader of First High right now, and I am also the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan. I am fed up with not knowing anything. I'll accept the consequences."

"Mayumi..." Tatsuya began.

"After the match, Tatsuya," Mayumi interrupted. "Save your argument until after the match."

"Very well, Mayumi..."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

The Monolith Code final was about to begin. The First and Third High teams had taken their places next to their respective Monoliths, and they could each see the opposite team across the field. The audience seats for this match were on the edge of the stage, far enough away so that the audience wouldn't get hurt, but close enough so that they could still see the action. To assist with viewing, large screens were hung from blimps that hovered above the stands, with a livestream of the match displayed on them.

"What's that?! What's that?!" Erika said, laughing hard as she saw the mantles that Leo and Mayumi wore.

"Erika, come on..." Mizuki said, embarrassed at the scene Erika was making.

From the stage, Leo could also see the blimps and their screens - he also saw what it looked like to wear a mantle.

"Hey, we do look like fools in this getup, don't we?" he said resignedly.

"You should use them just as I explained earlier," Tatsuya said.

"Why only us two?" Mayumi asked, her tone having changed since their encounter outside the tent. Apparently, being in the public eye had an effect on Mayumi's disposition.

"I don't use Fortification Magic, and I don't really need any help with Flying Magic," Tatsuya replied. "Plus, if I ever have to do any running, which has a large probability of happening, how could I manage wearing such a thing?"

"I just know she's laughing her head off now..." Leo muttered, pulling his collar up, trying in vain to hide his face.

"Oh, boy, talk about side-splitting!" Erika said, confirming Leo's hunch.

On the other side of the stage, Third High was also evaluating their opponents' clothing.

"It's probably just a bluff," the third wheel said.

"No, it's not a bluff," Masaki countered. "Shiba Tatsuya is a genius and a prodigy. I don't see something so...erratic...being simply a bluff. Perhaps it has something to do with Parade. Lina?"

"Impossible," she replied. "There's no way to 'undo' the effects of Parade, outside of counter-magic and cancelling the spell. It won't help them see through it, either. I don't get it. Who ever thought he'd still have a secret weapon up his sleeve?"

"Brooding over what we don't understand isn't going to get us anywhere," Masaki said. "Besides, a piece of cloth like that is no threat to our victory."

"You're right, but I can't really help it. It's the tactician in me," Lina replied.

"Whatever happened to the carefree girl who had a crush on Shiba Tatsuya?" Masaki asked, trying to take Lina's mind off of the weird cloak things.

"She's waiting for the competition to be over," Lina replied. "And, by the way, she does not have a crush on Shiba Tatsuya. We've talked about this, Masaki. Or need I mention Shiba Miyuki?"

"Message received. I'll shut up."

In a private box above the audience, various Magic Association officials were greeting a special guest.

"Right this way, Mr. Kudou. I understand your grand-niece is competing? You must be so proud."

"I will be proud of her if she wins," Kudou replied. "If she doesn't...well, there's a reason why I'm the head of the Ten Master Clans, and not my brother."

"With all due respect, Mr. Kudou, there's no way that she can lose. Even with those trinkets that the First High students are using."

"I appreciate your kindness. I look forward to an exciting match, either way."

A buzzer sounded, and the match began.

Immediately, Masaki cast a spell - Compressed Air Bullets - but it was destroyed by Tatsuya's Gram Demolition. He was about to cast it again, when Tatsuya unleased the same Blinding Flash strategy that he had used with Mitsui Honoka...a bright light blinded the Third High team and the audience, and when it faded, both Shiba Tatsuya and Saegusa Mayumi were gone. They had completely vanished from the stage.

Then a spell came out of nowhere and impacted Masaki's magic shield. It startled both him and the audience, and everyone was looking to see where it had come from...but Tatsuya was still nowhere to be found. Then a shadow fell across Masaki's face, and he looked upward.

Tatsuya was flying - flying! - at him with immense speed, framed against the background of the afternoon sun. The stark contrast of Tatsuya's midnight-black uniform against the sun was quite intimidating, but it also served a double purpose: Tatsuya was using the sun as a natural defense against Masaki. After all, Masaki wouldn't be able to target Tatsuya without looking directly into the blinding light of the sun. Three more spells impacted with Masaki's shield, and he made a split-second decision to start running forward while blindly casting Compressed Air Bullets at Tatsuya, who was able to avoid nearly every spell due to either his positioning or Gram Demolition.

 _Flying magic?!_ thought Lina, who had been caught completely unawares by Tatsuya's incredible display of magic superiority. _In the previous matches, he used Non-Systematic Magic and Weight-Type Magic, but now he's using Flying Magic, of all things? Did he really alter the structure of his Activation Sequences in a mere two hours? And how is he able to use Flying Magic at all? I've got to help Masaki...I think we may have underestimated Shiba Tatsuya._

"As planned, I'm going in, too!" she said to the Third High defender.

"Right, leave the rear to me!" he replied.

Tatsuya was already halfway to Masaki - he must have started from a very high position - and he was quickly gaining ground. But as Tatsuya got closer, the effect of the sun got weaker, meaning Masaki's spells were much more efficient and dangerous. Tatsuya was attacking less and less as he approached Masaki, and was having to defend himself more and more. Those spells he didn't avoid altogether he destroyed with Gram Demolition, but even then, he had to use Elemental Sight every now and again to be able to maximize his own efficiency. This appeared to the audience, who was watching with utter amazement, as Tatsuya firing Gram Demolition bullets into seemingly random places around him, and then Masaki's spells materialized in those exact places but were prompty obliterated; in other words, it looked like Tatsuya was predicting Masaki's actions, even though he wasn't doing such a thing in reality - he was merely using Elemental Sight to see where Masaki was targeting, and use that to preemptively cast Gram Demolition.

"Looks like he finally can't get away with holding back anymore," Major Yamanaka said to Fujibayashi Kyouko.

"You're taking this too lightly, sir," she replied. "To fully detect both the early signs of magic activation and those invisible air bullets with just his five senses, while also flying through the air at an incredible speed, would be impossible - even for Tatsuya. Besides, in this situation, a valid case could be made that he used a sixth sense, rather than Elemental Sight."

"You think?" Yamanaka asked. "True, he should be able to deceive those lightweights..." he said, thinking of the Magic Association and the Nine Schools Competition students, "...but I'm not sure that he can fool those esteemed eyes over there." He cast a sideways glance at Kudou Retsu, who was sitting in the nearly-vacant private box above the audience.

Lina, meanwhile, was running towards First High's monolith when three large spikes of ice materialized in front of her, blocking her path. She looked up and saw Mayumi hovering in the air a few feet in front of her, both arms extended with her palms upward in an almost angelic pose; in one hand, Mayumi was holding an oddly-shaped CAD, while in the other, she seemed to be holding a bunch of sticks.

Mayumi opened her hand, and the tiny arrows - Lina could see them more clearly now - floated up from her hand and rotated around it. Simultaneously, a group of arrows appeared from behind Mayumi's back and began revolving around her, matching the revolutions of the small arrows. _Ah, so those small arrows can be used to control the large ones_ , Lina thought. _Impressive, Tatsuya._

Mayumi made some gesture with her hand, and the arrows fanned out behind her back. With a quick flick of her wrist, they each turned to face Lina, who was watching intently to see what Mayumi would do next. She didn't even see it coming.

The extended part of Leo's Fortification Sword came flying around the ice barrier Mayumi had constructed at an incredible speed - too quick for Lina to react, since she wasn't aware of its position. With a thud, it hit Lina in the stomach, knocking her to the side and to her knees. She gasped for breath as Leo readied his sword for another swing. Leo had apparently used Mayumi as a distraction to run forward and take cover behind Mayumi's ice barrier; such a brilliant strategy was surely Tatsuya's work.

"We heard about how Parade works, Ms. Shields," Mayumi said. "It overrides the location and appearance data of an Eidos. However, as Tatsuya theorized, it doesn't change anything else: that is to say, the pain and injury data is still felt by the user, even though the spellcaster is in a different physical location. As such, even though magic attacks won't work, we can still hit you with an object, using magic as an intermediary."

Lina looked up at Mayumi, and also saw Leo's sword about to hit her again. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the inevitable pain. She was surprised when Leo missed: she looked up to see Leo getting hit with a Compressed Air Bullet from Masaki.

"Masaki!" she said. He smiled and nodded, indicating that she should continue. Masaki watched as Lina conjured magic icicles to rain down on Mayumi, but Mayumi simply used Flying Magic to evade them. He was confident that Lina would win, however, so he decided to focus again on Tatsuya.

Masaki looked up and was surprised to see that Tatsuya was only about twenty meters away and closing fast. He instantly created more Compressed Air Bullets - so many, in fact, that Masaki was sure that Tatsuya couldn't avoid them all. _Oh, crap!_ he thought as he took a step back. _I didn't adjust it! At this rate, I'll end up killing him!_

Simultaneously, Lina was battling Mayumi with everything she had - or, at least, everything she was allowed to use - but Mayumi's heightened agility allowed her to dodge nearly everything. Mayumi, on the other hand, had no trouble fighting Lina: she would line up her arrows so that they would attack Lina from every direction at once, as Tatsuya had intended, so that even if Lina dodged one arrow, she wouldn't be able to dodge them all. The hits Lina was taking from the Omnidirectional Attack System were clearly taking a toll; she was getting more and more tired as the battle progressed, while Mayumi's adrenaline kept her going.

Using Elemental Sight, Tatsuya saw where Masaki was targeting. He launched himself into an impressive aerial routine: he rolled, flipped, and twirled in the air, firing off Gram Demolition nearly every tenth of a second in order to destroy the spells before they activated. About halfway through, he realized that he wouldn't be able to cancel all of them before they activated.

Mayumi, who had been watching Tatsuya's aerial acrobatics out of the corner of her eye, noticed the same thing. _He's not going to make it,_ she thought.

"Tatsuya!" Mayumi cried, catching his eyes just for a second. His eyes somehow felt reassuring, though Mayumi was still worried.

Lina saw her chance. While Mayumi was distracted, she prepared to cast her final spell - the one she had saved for a special occasion - but to her dismay, her CAD activated Muspelheim instead. _No!_ she thought. _That's not right! It's too dangerous!_

Mayumi turned towards Lina right as a field of flame engulfed her.

Tatsuya saw this as the last two Compressed Air Bullets hit him, creating a large magic explosion upon contact.

Mayumi fell to the ground beside Leo, charred almost beyond recognition - but still alive.

Tatsuya went limp in the air - his Flying Magic had stopped - and the force of the explosion hurled him to the ground like a meteor from orbit. He hit the ground with such force that he rebounded off of it, to an astonished Masaki's horror.

 _The force I just used was in violation of the rules,_ Masaki thought. _What did I just do? What did Lina just do? This might cost us the competition...this could be worse...this could affect Third High's reputation for years to come!_

As Tatsuya was still in the air from the rebound, he quickly analyzed his injuried using Elemental Sight. _Rib and limb fractures, rupture of the liver arteries, massive hemorrhaging also likely. Diminished combat capacity, now dropping below tolerable levels. Self-Restoration Sequence, auto-start._

 _Loading Magic Sequence._

 _Reading Core Eidos data from backup._

 _Restoration - now starting... Complete._

Tatsuya, to everyone's amazement, seemed to recover mid-air and land perfectly, as if nothing had happened at all. He stoood up, put his hand next to Masaki's left ear, and snapped his fingers.

A shockwave so large that it rang in the ears of the audience resounded throughout the entire Southeast Fuji Training Area. The audio equipment was struggling to handle it, and let out an ear-splitting screech; the screens hanging from the blimps were also affected, and static flickered in and out of the livestream of the event.

Masaki fell on the ground, blood trailing out of his ear.

Tatsuya then turned towards Mayumi, Lina, and Leo. He dropped one of his CADs and extended his arm. Lina looked over, and saw that Mayumi had been completely healed of any and all wounds.

"It just never gets old!" Major Yamanaka said to Fujibayashi Kyouko. "The sheer speed of his Self-Restoration is beyond human congnitive speed." He looked over to see Kyouko frowning at him. "Oh, hey, I'm just kidding. I never saw Shiba Tatsuya casting the Self-Restoration Spell that's clearly beyond his abilities. Yes, sir, his resilience is otherworldly, that kid. So intriguing."

"And what of the girl? She was seriously injured. I find it hard to believe that the Magic Association will believe that she simply had otherworldy resistance."

"The effects were only temporary, and she was healing on her own while everyone's attention was focused on Tatsuya."

"That so-so explanation still doesn't make it right to use Tatsuya as a lab rat. He's a valuable asset, one of only two in this country, and one of a rumored fifty or so in the world, after all."

"Although I doubt that he's such a weakling that he'd fall apart after a few experiments."

"It's not a matter of whether he'd fall apart or not!"

"Well, be that as it may...just like you said, he used it, didn't he?"

"Yes, as expected, engaging an opponent like Ichijou with such a low-spec CAD was too tall a task. I wouldn't blame him for using Flash Cast. Though I'm sincerely doubting that Angelina Kudou Shields would make such a mistake as to cast Muspelheim on Saegusa Mayumi..."

"Flash Cast, huh? Calling up the Activation Sequence from memory, rather than from a CAD. The speed of that technique is a sure threat."

"Especially in Tatsuya's case - by storing the Magic Sequences in memory as images, he can effectively bypass the process for building Magic Sequences, never mind Activation Sequences."

"Is there anyone in our squad who can activate that sequence faster than he just did? I think Yanagi, who commands the same skillset, is the only one who can barely equal him."

Meanwhile, Mayumi opened her eyes and saw Lina holding her, staring intently at her.

"Are you all right, Ms. Saegusa?"

"I am...I think...I feel...psions, like a Magic Sequence..." Realizing what had actually happened, she decided not to say any more about Tatsuya's mysterious healing spell.

"Ms. Saegusa, I am so sorry!" Lina said, bowing deeply. "It was never my intention to cast Muspelheim! I don't even know why my CAD was equipped with that illegal spell!"

"It's okay, Ms. Shields," Mayumi replied. "Where's Ichijou? I don't see him on the field."

"He's...he's...over there, by Shiba...on the ground...unconscious..."

"Tatsuya won?!"

"I can't believe it, but he did!" Lina said. "Then he just turned this way, extended his arm, and you were healed! Completely! Just who is Shiba Tatsuya, Ms. Saegusa?"

"That's all I ever ask him. He's yet to give me a proper response."

Leo stirred beside them.

"Oh, that's right," Mayumi said. "We're supposed to be fighting right now, correct? That is, the match isn't over, right?"

"Ms. Saegusa, I will not take any more offensive action," Lina replied. "I don't know what happened with my CAD, but I can't trust any of my Activation Sequences anymore."

"Boy, does that sound familiar," Mayumi said with a sigh. "I think this is the work of that organization...what'd Tatsuya call it? The No-Head Dragons, or something like that? Anyway, according to him, they've been interfering with our opponents' CADs in order to try to derail us."

"How does he know this?"

"I asked, and he said nothing," Mayumi replied. "I actually don't even know if that's the right organization...he wouldn't tell me. But that's beside the point...how do we want to conduct this, if you're not going to fight?"

"I'll tell you what," Lina said, "if you can knock out our third member, I'll allow you to input our Monolith's code. Does that sound fair enough?"

Mayumi didn't reply; she just smiled, raised her hand, and cast a spell. An arrow flew off in the direction of the last Third High team member and hit him right in the solar plexus. He was out cold.

"Oh-oh my-that's certainly one way to do it..." Lina said.

Mayumi looked over at Tatsuya and nodded, indicating that he should go input the code. He walked over to Third High's Monolith, stepped over the unconscious body of the Third High player, and cast the spell on the Monolith. The upper-back half of the Monolith separated and fell to the ground, revealing the glowing 512-character code. Tatsuya swiftly entered it on his wrist-bound terminal, and the victory buzzer sounded. First High had won the Rookie Division Monolith Code event.

The crowd went wild. Some laughed with joy, others cried tears of happiness, but they all cheered Tatsuya, Mayumi, and the freshly-revived Leo as they walked up to the audience stands and waved.

"Tatsuya, what happened to me?" Mayumi asked. "I didn't say this to Ms. Shields, because it would've hurt her unnecessarily, but I felt like I was on fire. Every single part of my body was in searing pain, all at once. I couldn't have actually been on fire, though, because here I stand, alive and well. So what happened?"

"Wait, what'd I miss?" asked Leo. "That sounds like it was an exciting match, even if Ms. Shields used an illegal attack."

"To be honest, you didn't miss that much," Mayumi replied. "I actually missed some too...I went down, on fire - I think - and the next thing I know, Tatsuya is standing over the Crimson Prince's motionless body."

"To answer your question, Mayumi, I used the same magic that I used on Morisaki Shun that one time," Tatsuya said. "Beyond that, I can't say."

"Figured," said Mayumi with faux bitterness. "I supposedly gets burned up and you can't even answer a simple question without clamming up. What's a girl to do, then? Bathe in acid? Would that pry your lips open? ...can you at least tell me if you're all right?"

"Sorry, could you say that again?" he asked.

"I asked if you were okay, Tatsuya..."

"Yeah," he said. "I've got a ruptured eardrum on one side. I can't hear very well right now."

"So that means you couldn't hear what we've just been talking about, Tatsuya?" Leo asked.

"My bad," Tatsuya replied. "Right now, I'm only managing by reading your lips. Well, I did get the part where you two talked about missing things, but I tuned out during Mayumi's sarcastic speech about how I never tell her anything."

"Hey, that's not nice, Tatsuya!" Mayumi said, turning away from him and folding her arms. "But wait, if you weren't listening, then how'd you know what I was talking about?"

"I guessed," said Tatsuya. "If you're talking about me, then you'd either be telling Leo about how I never answer you, or about what happened while he was unconscious. Since you already did the latter, it had to be the former."

"Oh. Am I really that obsessed with you, Tatsuya?"

"I don't necessarily mind you being obsessed with me," Tatsuya said in a brief moment of suave-ness. "In fact, it's kind of nice."

"Tatsuya..." His comments made her blush, even though she thought she couldn't fully trust him.

Tatsuya turned and scanned the crowd. It wasn't hard to find Miyuki, since she had run down to the very edge of the seats and was leaning against the protective railing.

 _Tatsuya..._ she thought. _I hope that everything's going to be okay..._


	17. NSC Part 10

**[Episode 17: Nine Schools Competition - Part 10]**

"W-What?" Mayumi's jaw dropped as she watched a replay of the match and saw herself burned to a crisp. Her entire body, from head to toe, was covered in third-degree burns caused by Lina's Muspelheim. All of Mayumi's hair had been burned off, leaving Mayumi looking like a charred skeleton. The rest of the Student Council, who had insisted on showing her the tape, looked away from the extremely gruesome footage. "B-But...that's...me..."

"I'm sorry, Mayumi," said Mari, putting her hand on Mayumi's back. "It can't be easy, seeing yourself like this."

"That means...the pain I felt...was real..."

"You were subjected to the full force of Muspelheim," Ichihara Suzune said. "It's a miracle that you survived at all, but it's your quick recovery that is the true miracle."

Mayumi watched as the tape continued. About ten seconds later, Mayumi's body was instantly restored to its previous condition - that is, completely healthy.

"What was that just now?" she asked. "Tatsuya said that he used the same spell on me that he had used on Morisaki Shun, but it didn't look like he healed me at all."

"It's not a healing spell," Miyuki said softly. "Though I think I know why he used it...he must care for you, Chairwoman. More than you know."

"What was that spell, Miyuki?" Mayumi said this with equal curiosity and forcefulness. Miyuki sighed before answering.

"It's called Regrowth," she said. "Everything in the physical world has a counterpart in the Idea Dimension. We call the counterpart of our bodies an 'Eidos,' almost like a soul, but it's not a soul. It's the information that represents us, nothing more."

"Well, sure," Mayumi said. "Ms. Shields' Parade works by overwriting the location and appearance data of her Eidos."

"Exactly," replied Miyuki. "But what most people don't know is that the Idea Dimension creates a changelog of everything in it. For example, if you saw a half-sheet of paper with a torn edge, you would know that the piece of paper had been torn in half. In the Idea Dimension, that sheet of paper would have a changelog saying that it had been torn in half."

"I get it," said Suzune. "Since there is no visual aspect of the Idea Dimension - it is just information, after all - the way to portray change is through a changelog that shows a 'before and after' of an object."

"That's exactly it," said Miyuki. "And you know how magic works, right?"

"Using Psions to create Magic Sequences, we change things in the Idea Dimension," said Jumonji Katsuto. "Those changes are then reflected in the real world. Since there's nothing in the physical realm that caused the changes, except for a spellcaster, we call it 'Magic.'"

"I think I see where this is going," said Mayumi.

"What my brother can do is read someone's Eidos changelog, find a suitable 'restore point' - a backup, if you will - and then create a Magic Sequence that consists of the person's Eidos backup data. He then casts that Magic Sequence on his target, and their previous Eidos overwrites the injured one, erasing the injury in the real world," Miyuki explained.

"But that's amazing!" said Azusa. "Think of how many lives he could save by doing that!"

"It does have limitations," Miyuki said. "The Eidos changelog only covers changes in the last 24 hours, so a person can only be healed if the injury is less than a day old. Also, it can't be used to bring people back from the dead - once someone is brain dead, their consciousness has left their body, never to return. Using Regrowth then would only restore the body, not the mind. Theoretically, it would work, but it doesn't in reality; the human brain is still a mystery, even to magicians."

"But even so, he could still save millions of people!" Mari exclaimed. "From what I know of him, he seems honorable, so why hasn't he used Regrowth more widely?"

"Because there is a price that my brother has to pay, each and every single time that he uses Regrowth," Miyuki said solemnly. "In order to read the Eidos changelog, Tatsuya has to read the person's entire data, including the pain and suffering they have endured - except Tatsuya reads it all instantly, in about one-tenth of a second. That means the pain he feels is the combined sum of all the pain felt by the victim, at one moment."

"Oh...no..." Mayumi said, realizing how Miyuki was saying played out. "Then...that means..."

"Yes," Miyuki replied to Mayumi's unasked question. "The time between your injury and Tatsuya casting regrowth was about ten seconds. It took him only one-tenth of a second to read your Eidos data. That means that the pain felt by Tatsuya was one hundred times greater than what you endured, Chairwoman. For him to restore you - it is, quite literally, a labor of love."

"Then that must be why Shiba didn't use regrowth on Ms. Watanabe and myself," Jumonji said, giving Mayumi a minute to regroup herself. "Since our injuries weren't that bad, he chose to just let us recover naturally, since it had already been several minutes by the time he got to us. But why didn't he use it on you, Miyuki?"

"He offered, but I refused," Miyuki said. "Aside from creating pointless confusion and suspicion amongst the medical staff, the first chance he got to visit me in the hospital was hours after the incident. Also, my injuries weren't as severe, thanks to your protective efforts, Mr. Jumonji."

"Don't thank me, Ms. Shiba," he said. "When it came down to it, my CAD wouldn't work. I tried to cast Phalanx, but nothing happened."

"I noticed that," said Mari, who was trying to give Mayumi even more time to process the information that she just heard. "Do we think that's also the result of interference?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," replied Jumonji. "My Phalanx has never failed me before. But on a more interesting topic, how is Shiba able to cast such powerful magic? Look at the replay. There's absolutely zero delay between him raising his hand and Regrowth activating...I don't even see him use an Activation Sequence."

"That's right!" Mari exclaimed. "How could Tatsuya, who talks about his extremely low activation speed non-stop, activate magic so quickly?"

"He's kind of like a Born-Specialized Magician," Miyuki replied, trying to decide how much to tell the Student Council about Tatsuya's background. "His Magic Calculation Area is largely dominated by Regrowth, it being such a powerful spell, which lets him be able to cast Regrowth at insane speeds - but only Regrowth."

"Strange," said Mari. "But what about his Gram Demolition and Gram Dispersion?"

"What?" Now it was Miyuki's turn to be surprised. "I'd expect you to know about Gram Demolition, since he used it heavily in the competition, but I didn't think anyone else noticed him use Gram Dispersion."

"I didn't," Mari said proudly. "But you just confirmed it, so my bluff doesn't matter anymore."

"That's not nice, Ms. Watanabe."

"So, Miyuki," Mari said, moving on, "how is Tatsuya able to cast Gram Dispersion? Mayumi said it was impossible."

"It _is_ impossible," Mayumi added absentmindedly. She wasn't really listening, but she had heard her name and replied automatically.

"You know Tatsuya has the ability to read magic sequences, right?" Miyuki said after some thought. "You confronted him on the first day of school about that very fact, after all."

"Well, yes," Mari admitted, "but there's got to be more to it than that."

"Not really," Miyuki lied. She didn't mention Tatsuya's Elemental Sight. "But, if you don't mind, let's please stop talking about this. I'm not sure how much Tatsuya would want me to tell you."

"You mean there _is_ more?" asked Mayumi. Miyuki's comment had aroused her suspicions.

"W-What? That's not what I said," Miyuki stuttered.

"There is, isn't there?" Mari said, assisting Mayumi.

"Ms. Saegusa, Ms. Watanabe..." Jumonji said. "I think that Ms. Shiba is beginning to feel uncomfortable with your questions. No matter how important the answers might be, it is my recommendation that you stop."

"I'm sorry, Miyuki, if I made you uncomfortable," Mayumi said, agreeing with Jumonji. "Where is Tatsuya? I think I need to talk to him."

"I's okay, Chairwoman. He's...in his room..." Miyuki was still a little shaken from her close call.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Hello, Tatsuya."

"Good evening, okaa-sama. Was my performance satisfactory?"

"It was beautiful, Tatsuya. I think your stunning use of Flying Magic drew attention away from Regrowth, though I'm not too concerned about that anyway. Now, tell me what's wrong - I sense disapproval in your voice."

"It's nothing, okaa-sama."

"Speak your mind, Tatsuya."

"This 'exhibition' of yours...was it worth the cost of nearly killing Ms. Saegusa and also injuring Miyuki?"

"So that's what's on your mind. I don't know quite yet, but I'll find out soon. You seem to be extraordinarily concerned about the Saegusa girl - should I be worried?"

"That depends, okaa-sama."

"I see. Well, I guess it doesn't matter anyway, seeing as how your emotional capacities are limited. Good work, Tatsuya. Come by the house sometime with Miyuki. It's about time we all had tea together."

"Will do, okaa-sama."

Tatsuya hung up just as he heard a knock on his door. He used Elemental Sight to see that it was Mayumi who had come calling at this late hour.

"Come in."

"Hello, Tatsuya. Today was an excellent day for First High. We won the Rookie Competition."

"I'm glad that I was able to be of assistance."

They both stood there for a second, not sure what to say next, and an awkward silence filled the room. Eventually, Mayumi broke it.

"Tatsuya, Miyuki told us about Regrowth."

"Oh?"

"She also told us about what it costs you..."

"Oh."

"Tatsuya, is it true? That you felt one hundred times the pain I experienced?"

"In a word, yes, but don't worry - I don't feel it anymore. It's not a lingering sensation. It ends as soon as I stop reading the data."

"I'm glad to hear that. Was this the secret that you were so fiercely protecting?"

"Not really. Had you asked, and had the circumstances been right, I might have told you about Regrowth. But it's not something I like to publicize - not even Leo, Mikihiko, or Erika know about it. Actually, those who are aware of Regrowth only include you, Miyuki, and a handful of other acquaintances."

"When you say acquaintances, do you mean the military?"

"You're free to make that inference."

"Then I'm going to _infer_ that means yes." Mayumi smiled at the reference to their earlier conversation. "Tatsuya, I'm sorry. For putting you through that pain. For leaving you no option but to expose your abilities to the world."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Mayumi," he said, taking her hands in his. "You fought so well today that you drove a Strategic-class magician into a corner. That's something to be proud of. And anyway, the situation is the No Head Dragons' fault, for interfering with Ms. Shields' CAD."

"So it was indeed the No Head Dragons who has been behind this mess?"

"Yes. I suppose there's no point in hiding it now. But give it a couple days, and the No Head Dragons will be irrelevant."

"What do you mean, Tatsuya?"

"Don't worry about it, Mayumi. After all, the Nine Schools Competition isn't over yet. What's a team to do without a leader?"

"Not so fast, Tatsuya. I said I'd demand answers after the Monolith Code final. I'll worry about the competition tomorrow. Right now I just want honesty."

"I'll tell you what I can."

"Tatsuya, I don't care about the risks. I can deal with whatever they are. Tell me everything."

"Mayumi, you really should care about the risks. Some of my secrets aren't mine to tell...if the third party found out, you and your entire family could be seriously hurt."

"What could possibly hurt the Saegusa family?"

"I should warn you against that kind of thinking. Ms. Shields thought that she couldn't be attacked because of Parade, but she was wrong. Just because your name is Saegusa doesn't mean you're untouchable. If anything, it means that people will target you."

"I know that, Tatsuya. I was trained to handle assassination attempts in my early childhood. I know how having the name of a Master Clan puts a target on my back. But that target has prepared us for nearly any possibility...so I dare you to tell me your secrets, and let Saegusa be attacked. Watch as we valiantly defend ourselves and destroy anyone who would hurt us."

"That is a horrible, horrible idea, Mayumi. I can say with one hundred percent certainty that you and your family would die. Possibly countless innocent civillians as well, depending upon the method of execution."

"How could you possibly know such a thing?"

"I just know."

"Tatsuya, tell me!"

"Mayumi, please - just drop it."

"Tell me! How do you know that everyone would die?!"

"Because I would be assigned to carry out the extermination!" Tatsuya's outburst temporarily silenced Mayumi, and she saw the pain in his eyes. "Regrowth isn't the only innate magic that I have. My other spell is much, much deadlier. The exact opposite of Regrowth, you could say. And the spells that I've myself created...let's just say that one of them is purposefully bound behind several memory locks, because it's so dangerous. Another that I designed kills a target quicker than any magic activation speed, even Miyuki's, meaning there's no defense against it; even if my other spells failed, which they wouldn't, it would be sure to kill any magician."

"Tatsuya..."

"You wanted to know this, Mayumi. When I told you earlier that I am a weapon, I wasn't being metaphorical."

"But what about Taurus Silver?"

"What about him?"

"You say you're a weapon. Fine. I think I can accept that you believe such a thing. But despite that, Taurus Silver has never released any attack-style spells. He's only ever focused on helping to improve the magic community."

"You got me there, Mayumi," Tatsuya said with a smile. "I am indeed a weapon, but I hate what I am. My only wish is to improve the way magicians are viewed in the public eye: not as tools to be used by the government or the military, but as people who can be valuable contributions to society. But if I were to reveal everything about myself to the public, they would lock me away - and other magicians as well, perhaps - because of the fear that I created in them."

"That's not fair, Tatsuya. The skills your sister and Ms. Shields displayed in Ice Pillars Break could invoke the same reaction in the public if they were ever used on people."

"Have you forgotten already?"

"Forgotten?"

"Ms. Shields used Muspelheim in that competition, which she then also - albeit accidentally - used on you this afternoon. The entire Nine Schools Competition is broadcast to the nation, meaning that the entire public saw your burns. How do you think they are reacting to that? How do you think the Ten Master Clans are reacting to that?"

"I hadn't considered it, Tatsuya. At any rate, there's going to be a meeting of the Ten Master Clans soon. As a member of the Saegusa family, I'll be briefed on the outcome of the meeting, so I'll probably find out their opinion soon enough. But why bring the Ten Master Clans into this, Tatsuya? We both have...at least, on some level...feelings for each other, right?" Mayumi couldn't believe what she was saying.

"Indeed." Tatsuya couldn't believe what he was saying.

"But you know that as a member of the Ten Master Clans, I would never be allowed to have a formal relationship with you. I've purposefully been avoiding thinking about that, but then you had to go and bring up the Clans anyway."

"I'm sorry, Mayumi. I'm just worried about the politics of today's events. But I won't speak any more about it, if that will make you feel better."

"It would, thank you. But you still haven't told me anything, Tatsuya."

"I told you about my magic. Does that count for nothing?"

"You've only stalled by describing the threat, to try to convince me to cease asking. And besides, you left out a lot of details."

"That's the point. Details equal death. I don't want you to die."

"Thank you for the thought - sincerely - but you forgot something."

"What did I forget?"

"You said that I would die because you would be ordered to kill me."

"Sadly, yes, since I am an ultimate weapon. I hate thinking about it, so let's not spend too much time on this. What did I forget?"

Mayumi didn't answer. Instead, she stood on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on Tatsuya's lips.

"You forgot _that_ , Tatsuya. I don't think you have it in you to harm me."

"Mayumi..." He was silent for a second, as if he was choosing what to say next. He spoke after a few seconds: "I've killed people."

"And with that, you've killed the mood as well, Tatsuya," Mayumi retorted bitterly. "It's hard to believe that you even have friends at all, given your lack of social skills."

"I'm sorry, Mayumi, I was just-"

"I don't want to hear another excuse, Tatsuya," Mayumi said sharply. "But now that I think about it, I really need to get some sleep, so I think I'll head out now."

"Mayumi..."

"We'll talk later, Tatsuya."

"Be careful, Mayumi."

"Huh?"

"I can't say for certain that anything will happen, but neither can I say that nothing will. So please - be careful, Mayumi."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

The No Head Dragons were meeting again.

"First High's victory is practically in the bag now."

"If First High goes on to win, our losses will exceed one hundred million dollars. That's in U.S. dollars!"

"Don't be absurd! Are you just going to give up? That would be the same as just sitting here waiting to die!"

"A loss this huge, they won't let us die that easily. If we're lucky, they'll turn us into half-dead Generators."

"Now that it's come to this, we can't afford to be picky about our methods!"

"That's right! Even if we have to be more brutal, there's no reason to hesitate anymore! Even if our customers' suspicions are aroused, as long as we leave no evidence, we can give them any excuse."

"You're right. Let's send our collaborators some agents. For Mirage Bat, we'll have all First High members withdraw. By force."

"If their luck holds out, they won't die. Otherwise, it'll just mean that they weren't lucky."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"You did WHAT?"

Mayumi had gone straight to Mari's room after her talk with Tatsuya to unwind, to let of steam.

"I kissed him, Mari - pay attention."

"That's what I thought you said, Mayumi. Honestly, I didn't know you had it in you to do that. You are the ojou-sama of the Saegusa family, after all - or so you keep reminding everyone."

"Hey! That's not nice! But I guess what I did with Tatsuya doesn't matter. It was a mistake, anyway."

"What? Don't say that! It's an important step in your first serious relationship! It wasn't a mistake!"

"Do you know how he responded, Mari?"

"A romantic delcaration of undying love?"

"Would it have been too much to ask for that?" Mayumi replied. "No, he said 'Mayumi, I've killed people.' As if that's what I was trying to get out of him with the kiss."

"That idiot."

"I know, right? How is it possible that one minute, he's doing romantic things like saving my life at his own expense and the next he's just a total stiff?"

"Mayumi, if I had to guess, I'd say that his reaction only confirms his feelings."

"Huh?"

"You know that I've never really been a fan of Tatsuya, at least not as much as you, Mayumi, but I really do think that he has feelings for you. That much was evident with how he used Regrowth this afternoon."

"That was my opinion too, but then tonight happened."

"You're looking at it wrong. For Tatsuya, there was nothing 'romantic' about saving your life. He simply cared for you, and you were seriously injured; there was only one choice for Tatsuya, and that was to save your life."

"You make him sound so cold."

"He _is_ cold, Mayumi. I hope you've realized that, because if not, you're in for quite the rude awakening."

"No, I know that, but I thought that he was different when he was around me."

"To some degree, he is. Tatsuya did save your life, after all. If he was merely acting out of cold logic, there would be no reason for him to subject himself to such pain just to save someone. Unless, of course, there was an outside influence on his thought process."

"Go on."

"Earlier tonight, you made your feelings for him abundantly clear - something I'm proud of you for doing, by the way - and he saw that you were in danger again. He understood that you know so little about him, and he understood the danger that was associated with knowledge of his secrets. I think he purposefully said that to hurt your feelings, in order to spare you further pain down the road."

"That idiot. Hasn't he ever heard the phrase 'hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn'?"

"I'm sure he has, which is what proves his love for you."

"Come again?"

"Mayumi, he purposefully subjected himself to your scorn - just like he subjected himself to your pain - to save you from being hurt. He's acting out of love, Mayumi."

"I...I didn't think about it that way..."

"I don't think he intended you to come to that realization."

"But why? Why not just tell me himself?"

"Words are cheap, Mayumi. If he told you what he was doing and his reasons for doing it, the sacrifice itself would have lost all value. He's proving his feelings by actions, not words."

"How did you ever figure this out, Mari? You don't know Tatsuya as well as I do."

"Shu and I went through something similar during the first few weeks of our relationship. I went crying to my mother after Shu had nearly broken my heart once-"

"You, Mari, crying? That's a laugh!"

"I'm trying to be helpful, not funny, Mayumi. Anyway, my mother explained to me the meaning of what Shu had done. When Miyuki was explaining what Tatsuya did for you, I noticed the similarities immediately. Even though they like to pretend otherwise, men are pretty much all alike."

"Except most men have some semblance of emotions."

"Yes, there is that. But I think his disposition is a direct result of how he thinks of himself: he is a weapon, and weapons don't feel emotions."

"Quite the theory, Mari."

"Not that he's wrong - from what he told you of his spellcasting abilities, he is definitely a living weapon. Those spells he described are extremely interesting."

"But on the other hand, those spells legitimize his point," Mayumi said. "It probably isn't safe for me to look into his past."

"So what? He obviously loves you. Go after him! Besides, knowing who you are, you'll never find someone else who you care about so deeply and actually have the courage to pursue." Mari half-expected Mayumi to be upset at the tease, but she wasn't.

"Thank you, Mari. You've been a great help," Mayumi said as she started to leave.

"Wait, Mayumi, where are you going?"

"I'm going to prove my feelings with deeds, not words."

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Mayumi didn't hear Mari's comment, as she was already in the hallway.

A few minutes later, Tatsuya, using Elemental Sight, saw Mayumi approach his door again - odd, considering how she said that she was going to bed - but then she turned away before knocking. He figured that she didn't want to disturb him again since it was late at night, so he didn't call out after her.

* * *

 **~August 11th, 2095~**

It was the day of the Official Mirage Bat competition. Tatsuya and Miyuki were watching the match from the sidelines.

"First up is Ms. Kobayakawa's match," Tatsuya said.

"She does seem extremely fired up," Miyuki commented.

"Depending on our results in Mirage Bat, our overall victory could be sealed today," Tatsuya replied. "Who could blame her?"

Meanwhile, Mizuki, Mikihiko, Erika, and Leo were sitting in the First High section of the audience stands.

"Mizuki, are you okay without your glasses?" Erika asked in an uncommon moment of kindness.

"To be honest, it's a little uncomfortable," Mizuki replied. "But I know that I can't run away from it forever."

"Hey, you're not really..."

"No, but I think it's wrong to avert my gaze from what's visible to me when I should be seeing it. Especially considering all of the 'accidents' that have happened during this year's competition."

"Even so, you won't keep your eyes peeled all day, will you?"

"Since we caught them using Spirit Magic once, it's not far fetched to assume they'd use it again," Mikihiko jumped in. "And if that is the case, Ms. Shibata's eyes will be our most dependable aid - that's a fact."

"I thought that Tatsuya concluded that they wouldn't use that method again, whoever they are," Erika said. "And is it really safe for Mizuki to be doing this?"

"As to your first point, he thinks that they're going to be reckless," Mikihiko responded. "And, secondly, we do have a barrier around us to alleviate the stimulation from Psion light, so I don't think there'll be any lingering effects."

Erika saw this as an opportunity.

"So you're going to protect Mizuki, Miki? Okay, then, if something happens to Mizuki, you be sure to take responsibility! Needless to say, the kind of responsibility boys take for girls!"

"Now..." Mikihiko began. "This is not the time to be saying things like that!"

"But your concern seems a little extraordinary, shall we say? And you didn't deny it, either! Your desire to shield her is just oozing..."

"You really are a mean one..." Leo muttered to himself.

Ms. Kobayakawa was winning the match so far - not that Erika or Mikihiko were aware - but she needed to descend if she wanted to keep going. She selected an Activation Sequence from her CAD, but it did nothing.

"Huh?" Mizuki said, putting a stop to Mikihiko and Erika's argument.

Ms. Kobayakawa's CAD would not respond. Suddenly, she plummeted towards the water-filled pool at the bottom of the Mirage Bat arena, screaming. Luckily, the tournament safety magicians - a new feature as a result of the accidents - caught her with magic before she got hurt, and they laid her gently on the side of the arena as the on-staff magicians scrambled to get emergency response teams on site. _A brush with danger after magic fails you,_ Tatsuya thought to himself. _The ensuing sense of distrust towards magic often leads to an inability to wield magic at all. Ms. Kobayakawa might be finished..._ His thoughts were interrupted by a call on his phone.

"Mizuki?"

"Tatsuya!"

"What's up?"

"Well...um..."

"Did you see something?"

"Hai. Right by Ms. Kobayakawa's CAD, I saw a light...no! It looked like spirits bursting apart."

"You did? I see..."

"Um..."

"Good job, Mizuki! You just gave me some extremely useful information."

"Thank you very much!"

Tatsuya hung up.

"Tatsuya..." Miyuki said with a worried expression. "What on earth...?"

"That 'incident' just now..." he replied. "I might be able to pinpoint the cause."

"Then just as we suspected...somebody..."

"Miyuki," Tatsuya said after a second of thought, "you'd better go get ready for your match."

"But..."

"There's no need for you to worry," he said, taking her CAD. "I'm just going over to get your CAD checked before the match. I'll be right back."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya was waiting to get Miyuki's CAD checked at a tent just outside the Mirage Bat arena.

"Next in line?"

Tatsuya stepped up to the desk and placed Miyuki's CAD on the reflective glass surface. Miyuki's name and student registration appeared on the attendant's computer. The attendant activated the scanning device. Tatsuya watched as a beam of blue light swept over the CAD before activating Elemental Sight - his enhanced perception revealed a dark energy flickering before entering the CAD. In response to this, Tatsuya grabbed the attendant and pinned him against the ground with his knee, as other Magic Association officers called for security.

"You really underestimated me, didn't you?" Tatsuya said menacingly. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice if you tampered with something of Miyuki's? What did you inject into this CAD with that examination device? I'm sure it's not just a virus. Still, all of the accidents that occurred during this tournament couldn't have been your doing, could they? I see...so you don't want to say?"

"What's going on here?" Tatsuya was interrupted in his pursuit by Kudou Retsu.

"Patriarch Kudou?" Tatsuya was honestly surprised - so much so, in fact, that it took him a second to realize that the proper etiquette was to stand and bow before the Patriarch. "Please forgive me for this unseemly display."

"You're Shiba of First High, right? You played a magnificent match yesterday. Also, on behalf of the Kudou family, I would like to thank you for saving us the embarrassment of having killed the Saegusa ojou-sama. So, what happened here?"

"Yes, sir," said Tatsuya. "The CADs used by my school have been tampered with, so I apprehended the culprit, and was about to interrogate him about who was behind this."

"Is that right?" Kudou said as one of his men brought Miyuki's CAD to him. "True, a foreign element has been injected into this. Back when I was still active, the magicians of the Guangdong Army used this during the battle of the East China Seas - it's Golden Electron Silkworms." This revelation surprised the guilty attendant, who apparently expected the magic sequence to be unknown. "Golden Electron Silkworms is a delayed Activation Sequence that invades electronic devices, causing them to malfunction. Until we were able to identify this, our forces suffered severely...did you know about this?" The last part was directed at Tatsuya, who promptly responded.

"No, I've never heard of the term 'Golden Electron Silkworms' until now," he said. "That said, I recognized at once that something similar to a virus had been injected into the system I'd designed myself."

"I see," Kudou said, before turning to the corrupt attendant. "So tell me, where on earth did you acquire this magic sequence?" As Kudou's men led the traitor away, Kudou turned back to Tatsuya. "Now then, Mr. Shiba. You should be getting back to the stadium. I'd use a backup CAD if I were you. Under these circumstances, there's no need to have it checked pre-match. To think that someone among the tournament staff was involved in tampering...it's a scandal without precedent. And, Mr. Shiba Tatsuya, I'd like to hear from myou sometime."

"Yes, sir," Tatsuya replied. "Should the opportunity arise."

"All right, then..." Kudou said. "I suppose I'll be looking forward to that opportunity, then."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Angelina Kudou Shields was struggling to come to terms with the events of the previous day. _He knew we were watching him, so he intentionally underperformed in the previous matches,_ she thought. Not mentioning the fact that both Tatsuya and Mayumi had used Flying Magic, an incredible feat which undoubtedly required the cooperation of either Taurus Silver himself or Four Leaves Technology. _But that all pales in comparison,_ she thought, _when one considers the pure power of that healing spell_. Tatsuya had healed a grievous wound in an instant, an attribute which had only been applied to one other figure in recent history.

"Mahesvara," Lina said to herself out loud. She was examining a report of the Okinawa Invasion to confirm her suspicions, and the report stated that captured soldiers referenced the Obsidian Demon as Mahesvara, the Hindu god of destruction and healing. The nickname had arisen from the fact that the Strategic-class magician that Lina was hunting used two CADs, one in his right hand and one in his left, with two unique spells, nicknamed Demon Right and Divine Left - his right-hand CAD obliterated his enemies, while his left-hand CAD restored his allies to perfect health.

"I was expecting to be forced to frame someone as you," Lina said to the still image of Tatsuya casting his healing spell. "But unexpectedly, I found the real you, Mahesvara - or should I say, Shiba Tatsuya." Even though it was her mandate to report back to STARS as soon as she discovered the mysterious Strategic-class magician's identity, Lina decided to keep it secret for now. _After all, wouldn't it be better to return home after having dealt with the threat?_ Lina's thoughts were interrupted by Masaki.

"Hey, Lina..."

"Masaki! You're out of the hospital?"

"Just this morning. My injuries weren't that severe, so I wasn't in bed for that long. But I am wondering why you didn't come visit me..."

"Oh, eh..." Lina got flustered. Truth be told, she had been so caught up in analyzing the outcome of the match, she had forgotten to go to the hospital. Subconsciously, she had probably told herself that her mission was more important than visiting a mildly-injured friend, but that was no excuse to tell Masaki.

"It's all right, Lina."

"What?"

"I'd be researching Shiba Tatsuya as well if I were in your position."

"W-What position is that?" Lina was afraid for a second that Masaki had discovered her identity.

"Oh, you know..." he said nonchalantly. "Accidentally cooking Ms. Saegusa, and only being saved from utter humiliation and drama by Mr. Shiba..."

"Right, right...it's amazing, what he did."

"You know, when I was fighting in Sado, there was a warrior who repelled the Okinawa invasion who commanded a similar skill set."

"I'd...heard rumors about him," Lina said cautiously, deciding to find out what Masaki knew about the Mahesvara.

"It seems that this warrior - Mahesvara, as he was called by the enemy - can not only heal people instantaneously, as Shiba Tatsuya did with Saegusa Mayumi, but he could also obliterate them just as fast."

"So you're saying that if Tatsuya has such an ability, then he must be Mahesvara?"

"It certainly increases the likelyhood, yes," Masaki said. "And it would also help to explain his unlikely victories in Monolith Code, considering that the Mahesvara was also a Strategic-class Magician."

"No!" Lina said with mock surprise - though she was seriously surprised that Masaki had the same hunch as her. "A Strategic-class magician? Really? Tatsuya, a Strategic-class magician?"

"It would explain a lot. But then again, it's none of my business."

"What? Masaki, how can you say something as important as that, and then immediately disregard it?"

"Think about it, Lina. We researched Shiba Tatsuya thoroughly, and we didn't find a single shred of evidence that would have connected him to the Mahesvara. That means that someone must be controlling the information surrounding him."

"I actually hadn't thought of that..."

"And if whoever is controlling his information has the power to keep a Strategic-class magician under wraps for three years, then I don't want to anger them by poking the bear."

"Probably a smart move, Masaki," Lina admitted. _But it's my job to poke that bear..._

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya walked into the First High command tent. The staff looked at him in awe as Miyuki ran up.

"Tatsuya!"

"Sorry about that," he replied. "For making you worry..."

"Yeah, I was worried you were going to kill someone!" Miyuki retorted. "Still, though...it's rare to see you get angry. It's always for my sake, isn't it? Or has Ms. Saegusa also elicited the same feelings from you?" Tatsuya's mind quickly flashed to the incident the previous night. Mayumi _had_ made him mad - sincerely mad. That was new. But while Tatsuya was thinking about Mayumi, his silence spoke volumes to Miyuki. "I see," she said. "So you have gotten mad for her sake as well. That's quite interesting, Tatsuya."

"Interesting? How?"

"Oh? Don't tell me that you don't see it..."

"See what, Miyuki?"

"The effect that Ms. Saegusa has had on you, Tatsuya."

"Miyuki..." Tatsuya said with a sigh. "You know everyone can hear us, right? Saying such things might not be respectful to Ms. Saegusa."

"I would be inclined to agree..." Mayumi said, shaking her head slightly as she entered the tent.

"O-Oh! C-Chairwoman! I didn't see you there..."

"It's okay, Miyuki," Mayumi said with a smile. "Incidentally, Tatsuya - may I have a word with you?" She gestured towards the inner meeting room of the tent, indicating that they would talk privately.

"But Mayumi," Tatsuya said with a sly smile, "surely you don't want to create a rumor about you and me? I was under the impression that a private meeting with a girl is perfect ammunition for a most obnoxious rumor..." Mayumi blushed, but she then decided to fight fire with fire.

"I didn't think you'd object to such a thing," she said coyly. "After all, wasn't it you who said that the only way to defeat a rumor is to turn the rumor into reality?" Now Tatsuya was the one who was blushing - score one for Mayumi.

"Tatsuya..." groaned Miyuki, "on behalf of everyone else in the room, please just go meet with her so we don't have to listen to you two flirting."

"Is that what we were doing?" asked Mayumi innocently.

"I do believe so, Mayumi," Tatsuya responded. "And since it seems to be making them uncomfortable, let's move inside. Well, deeper inside."

Once they were "deeper inside," Mayumi took the initiative.

"Tatsuya, I just wanted to say that I harbor no ill will towards you about the events of last night."

"I guessed as much, considering your attitude just then, but if I may ask - why?"

"That's my secret," she said with a smile. "I'll reveal it as soon as I'm sure that I know everything about you."

"Be prepared to keep that secret for a while, then."

"Oh, I will. But it's a special kind of secret - it's a secret that is meant to be shared with someone. So I expect you to tell me your secrets one day, and on that day, I'll share mine."

"It's a deal, Mayumi," he said. "And I will hold up my end, eventually."

"Please, Tatsuya," she said. "Tell me sooner than later. I'm sort of impatient when it comes to you, if you haven't noticed."

"Oh, believe me, I've noticed," he replied. "But sooner or later - either way, it will have to wait until after Miyuki competes in Mirage Bat."

"Oh, right! That's coming up soon, isn't it?"

"Less than an hour from now. If you don't mind, Ms. Saegusa, may I ask you to accompany me to the arena?"

"I would be delighted, Mr. Shiba."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya and Mayumi met up with Miyuki at the gate to the Mirage Bat arena.

"Now, Miyuki, just as planned, you're going to use it from the very start."

"This is going to be fun!"

"Wait, Tatsuya," Mayumi interjected. "Use what?"

"Flying magic, of course," Tatsuya replied. "Or have you forgotten that you specifically requested that we use Flying Magic in this event?"

"But you're sure that you want Miyuki to start out with Flying Magic? Wouldn't that show our hand for the final match?"

"What can they do?" Tatsuya replied. "Even if they wanted to use Flying Magic as well, the sequence has only been released to two public institutions: the military and First High School. In other words, they can't do anything to stop Miyuki, so why hold her back?"

"Very well," said Mayumi. "I won't say anything else, considering this was my idea to begin with."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

A buzzer counted down to the beginning of the Mirage Bat match. When the match began, every contestant used magic to jump off of their platforms - except for one. Miyuki stood still for a second before activating an oddly-shaped CAD. Activation sequences encircled her arm and she began to hover. She then flew upward at an incredible speed, to the vast enjoyment and astonishment of the crowd.

"Flying...magic?"

"Taurus Silver's?"

"No way!"

"But that sequence was only just made public to the military last month! How'd they get it?"

"I heard First High used it during Monolith Code, but I didn't believe it!"

"Yeah, but that..."

"No question...it's flying magic!"

"She's...flying..."

When Miyuki finished the match with more than triple the score of her closest rival, the entire crowd - not just First High - erupted in applause, and Miyuki bowed modestly.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

The No Head Dragons were meeting yet again.

"I just heard from No. 17. Out target in the second match made it to the final. I think we're past the point of being selective about our methods, but who knows?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Have them call off the tournament itself. Using a Generator to indiscriminately kill a hundred or so of the audience should suffice."

"Will No. 17 be enough manpower for the job?"

"He wasn't able to bring his weapons in, but it we remove his limiter, he can kill a hundred or two with his bare hands."

"Won't the audience start making a racket? Those weapons brokers are going to be a pain in the neck, never mind our colleagues. Those guys are tight with various governments..."

"We can figure out an excuse for our clients! Right now, our main concern should be the organization's sanctions!"

"No objections, then? All right, I'm removing the limiter."

At the Mirage Bat arena, a large man dressed in black with sunglasses and a serious expression looked up - he was the No. 17 Generator which the No Head Dragons were discussing. A magic sequence washed over him, and his limiter disappeared. He walked toward the crowd, extending one arm to grab and murder the first person he saw. A tall man, also dressed in black, walked right in front of him. No. 17 had his target. He prepared to chop the man in the back with magic-inhanced karate, but his target anticipated No. 17's move. Without blinking, the man blocked the attack and grabbed No. 17's arm, which he then used to throw No. 17 over the outer wall of the arena with magic. No. 17 used magic to survive the fall, though he wasn't able to recover quickly. The other man quickly followed, jumping over the wall and landing on his feet.

"All the way from those stairs..." the man said. "I'll give you props for making it in time. Who are you? No, no need to answer. Because you probably can't answer, anyway. That athleticism of yours...surely it's not just magic...are you an enhanced human?"

No. 17 stared blankly through his dark sunglasses.

"You're the one who said 'no need to answer,' Yanagi," another man said from behind No. 17, surprising the Generator. "Besides, being that you landed from the same height on your feet, he probably doesn't want to hear that from you, right?"

No. 17 stared blankly through his dark sunglasses, before rushing at the man identified as Yanagi. Without flinching, Yanagi raised a hand and extended his fingers towards the Generator's head. Magic sequences appeared around Yanagi, and he pushed the Generator. Magic amplified the force of his push, throwing No. 17 back several meters.

"I wasn't expecting an answer to that," Yanagi said. "I was thinking out loud."

"Still, I have to say it's always a sight to see," the other man said. "Did you use Revolution just now?"

"I've told you repeatedly," an annoyed Yanagi said, "it's not Revolution, it's Flip. Enough with the small talk, help me bring this guy down!" At that moment, electrified bolts struck No. 17 and rendered him unconscious.

"All right, let's do that," the other man replied. "Although you should know that Fujibayashi, thanks to Thunder Needle, seems to have him in custody already."

"You two really are chummy, aren't you now?" Kyouko said playfully as she entered the scene.

"Fujibayashi, I thought you had good eyesight," Yanagi commented.

"I think it's her sensitivity, not her eyesight that's questionable?" the other man replied. "Want me to refer you to a good counselor?"

"See, you two are totally in sync!" Kyouko said with a sigh.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya was resting in his room, reading a report on his tablet, when he heard a knock at the door. _Man, a lot of my anecdotes start this way,_ he thought in an unusual moment of self-awareness. He didn't say this thought aloud, however.

"Come in."

"Excuse me, Tatsuya," Miyuki said as she entered.

"Miyuki, so you're out of the shower?"

"Hai. I came by to talk about Mayumi. She was headed over here last night and I just want to make sure you didn't ruin things with her."

"How backhandedly thoughtful of you, Miyuki. Why would you think I would 'ruin things with her?'"

"Well, you know," Miyuki said hesitantly, undoubtedly leading up to a joke. "I mean, you're not exactly handsome, so you need to take any chance you can get, but you're too kind and nerdy to do so." Yep, there's the joke.

"Ha ha, very funny, Miyuki," Tatsuya replied. "Though I think Mayumi might disagree with you on the 'not exactly handsome' part..." He then proceeded to tell her about the previous night's conversation.

"My, my, Tatsuya," Miyuki said with mock shame. "It looks like you didn't need my help after all."

"And then I told her that I've killed people before."

"I take it back," Miyuki said immediately. "You definitely need my help. You know, if you weren't so...you...then you two could have been engaged by now! Yet your own seriousness makes your relationship with Mayumi run hot and cold every other day. Honestly, sometimes I can't tell if she's mad at you or if she's flirting with you!"

"My seriousness is what's keeping her alive, Miyuki," Tatsuya deadpanned. "If I wasn't so 'me,' I would tell her everything. And then Maya would order me to kill her, the Saegusa family, and possibly the entire Student Council as well in retaliation."

"But there must be something you can tell her!" Miyuki objected. "It's painful watching you two bicker and make up and bicker and make up. Please. Tell her something."

"What would you have me tell her?"

"Well, what's something she's concerned about? Something not too serious, but still important enough so that an answer would feel like a godsend?"

"I may have an idea..."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

After Tatsuya had thoroughly convinced Miyuki that he would be able to patch things up with Mayumi - not an easy task, mind you, considering Miyuki's opinion of Tatsuya's social skills, but Mayumi was more accepting of him today - Miyuki returned to her room to rest before the final match. Now it was time to think about more important things. _Even though the attempt failed,_ he thought, _who knew they would go so far as to use a Generator to plot a massacre? Apparently, they no longer care how it looks...who knows what they'll try next. Something needs to be done about the No Head Dragons._

* * *

 **~Later That Night~  
**

Miyuki and Tatsuya were doing a last-minute check in the athletes' tunnel that led to the Mirage Bat arena.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm in perfect condition, Tatsuya. My drive and energy have been replenished, so I'd like to use Flying Magic from the start again."

"Fine," Tatsuya said. "That was the plan, after all."

"Hai!"

After the match had started, the crowd was surprised to see the other contestants attempting to fly - though they weren't flying as beautifully as Miyuki. Their movements were erratic, the speed was rather slow, and the spell itself seemed to sputter.

"Flying Magic?" A-chan exclaimed. "The other schools, too?"

"After the second round, it seems that the other schools raised some concerns about cheating," Tatsuya explained. "I was asked by the tournament committee to submit Miyuki's CAD for testing, but in response to the complaint, the committee must have leaked the Magic Sequence to the other schools."

"That's unbelievable!" Mayumi said angrily. "Aside from how hard we worked to have an advantage that was exclusive to us-"

"...not that you did any of that work..." Tatsuya commented.

"...that's not a spell that anyone can master without any practice," Mayumi continued, narrowing her eyes at Tatsuya as a warning to be quiet.

"It shouldn't be a problem," Tatsuya replied. "First of all, if they're using Silver's sequence as is, when something goes wrong, the safety device should kick in. And I say 'when' because they're trying to run a next-generation magic sequence on last-generation gear. Look," he said, pointing to the contestants' CADs. "They're just using the same CADs that they already had for the competition."

"But when I tried the flying magic, you gave me a special CAD," Mayumi said, finishing Tatsuya's thought. "They obviously didn't know that you need a specialized CAD to fly."

"That's why their flight looks so...wrong..." Tatsuya said. "They don't have the right gear. In other words, they don't stand a chance against Miyuki, who has a fine-tuned specialized CAD that is perfect for flying."

True to his word, the contestants from the other schools began slowing down, to the point where a different magic sequence would auto-activate and lower them to the nearest safe surface. The girls looked confused, but also kind of relieved that the strain Flying Magic took on their bodies was over.

"Looks like the safety device is functioning as it should," Tatsuya said, watching Miyuki continue to fly and rack up points as fast as possible. _I can't let them harm Miyuki again,_ he thought before glancing over at Mayumi. _I can't let them harm Mayumi again, either. They're going to pay for what they've done..._

"Mayumi, can we talk privately?"

"In a minute...no wait, there's the victory party tonight. We can't miss that! How about afterwards?"

"Wow, it seems that when I'm finally ready to let you in on something, you don't have time...fortunate for me, I guess..."

"What?! No, that's not at all what I...oh, you were doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"That thing where you think you're joking, but nobody else knows it, so it creates a misunderstanding."

"And what's not funny about that?"

"Hmmph. Just for that, you're going to have to wait until after the party to talk privately with me."

 _But since it's for your own benefit, it's really you who has to wait..._ Tatsuya thought.


	18. NSC Part 11

**[Episode 18: Nine Schools Competition - Part 11]**

"To celebrate Shiba Miyuki's triumph in Mirage Bat, and First High School's overall victory, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Mayumi and the First High athletes were gathered in First High's conference room in the hotel for a victory party.

"Mayumi, may I speak with you outside for a moment?" Tatsuya asked.

"Sure, I'll be right there," she replied as she went to congratulate an athlete.

Tatsuya stepped out into the hallway and waited for Mayumi. He used Elemental Sight to make sure that no unwanted parties would be listening in to their conversation. Mayumi followed a few minutes later.

"I'm sorry, did I keep you waiting?"

"No, don't worry about it."

"I'm glad. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'd like to 'let you in' on something."

"Really? So soon?"

"It's nothing mind-blowing...just my plans for the rest of the night."

"Let me guess...you're going to take me out to an expensive dinner at a romantic venue to make up for all the secrets you've been keeping?" Tatsuya couldn't help but smile at Mayumi's joke.

"Someday, I promise. But what I have in mind for tonight is a little less romantic and a little more work-related. I'm going after the No Head Dragons."

"Are you sure you can handle them?"

"It's not a question of if I can handle them or not. It's a question of just how long I want them to survive before their inevitable extinction."

"You mean...you're going to kill them all?"

"Indeed."

"But why? With the Blanche incident, you left everyone alive. Wounded, but alive. Why resort to killing now?"

"Because the No Head Dragons poked the sleeping giant when they hurt both you and Miyuki. Injuring either one of you alone would have had serious consequences, but the fact that you both only nearly avoided death at the hands of the No Head Dragons is unforgivable."

"Tatsuya...you're only a first year in high school. You shouldn't have to deal with this. Leave it for the military to handle."

"They assigned it to me."

"Wait, are you saying that..."

"I'm sorry, I can't say any more than that. Maybe later."

"Well, if you can't talk about it, then why are you here?"

"I'd like to invite you along. I know I've told you about what I can do, but maybe if you saw it for yourself you'd understand the danger you're in."

"Let me get this straight. You're asking me to accompany you while you mercilessly slaughter a crime syndicate? What kind of date is that? Just dinner and a movie would have been fine, you know."

"But why go to a movie when you can see the real deal? You can even bring popcorn if you want," Tatsuya deadpanned.

"Tatsuya, I am not going to eat popcorn while you kill people. It's just not happening."

"So you're coming along, then?"

"I'd like to, I guess," Mayumi replied. "But, as you undoubtedly know, there's a Ten Master Clans meeting tonight. I'm to await a message from my father following its conclusion, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go with you."

"I understand."

"But - thank you for inviting me, Tatsuya! I know I was joking about how it's not romantic at all...it's like the exact opposite of romantic...but I really appreciate you trusting me with even this tiny amount of information. Thank you."

"I just hope it's not the least troubling thing you hear tonight."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it, Mayumi. Goodnight - I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Tatsuya."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Just the map data will do, right?"

"If you know who the members are, could I have that data as well, sensei?"

"Sure," replied Kokonoe. "Anything for my brightest student. Well, anything within reason, of course."

Tatsuya and Kokonoe Yakumo were meeting in the underground parking lot of the hotel. Yakumo had retrieved data on the No Head Dragons' headquarters and members from his temple, and was delivering it to Tatsuya.

"Thank you very much, sensei."

After Kokonoe had left, Tatsuya got into a parked car.

"Was that Kokonoe Yakumo?" asked Fujibayashi Kyouko. "I thought he'd be taller."

"I asked him for data on the No Head Dragons, since he claims to have information on every possible threat. It seems he came through with this."

"Maybe the 101-IMEB should hire him as an intelligence officer."

"Knowing Kokonoe, his values as a 'ninja' would tell him to say no. But he probably would end up accepting the position anyway, simply because he wants the access that being in the 101st could give him."

"Not that such access would be better than his own methods, seeing as how we're coming to him for information and not the other way around."

"Speaking of..."

"Fine, fine, we'll get going. Are these the correct coordinates?"

"Yes, but I don't want to go there. I want to go here," Tatsuya said, tapping a location on Kyouko's map.

"The Kanto branch of the Magic Association?"

"Indeed."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Kudou Retsu was meeting with Major Kazama.

"What brings you here today?"

"What can I say? I have an interest in him."

"Who do you mean?"

"Shiba Tatsuya. The one you plucked from the Yotsuba three years ago...Miya's son."

As this was happening, Kyouko and Tatsuya were on their way to the Kanto branch of the Magic Association.

"Surely it's no shocker that I know about him," Kudou continued. "Even if only temporarily, Miya and Maya were both students of mine."

"In that case, you should be well aware that the Yotsuba haven't relinquished their claim to Tatsuya."

"Don't you find it a waste?"

"What do you mean, a waste?"

"Along with the scion of the Ichijou clan, he could become a leading asset in our country's magical forces. Don't you consider it a waste to consign such an elite talent as that to the whims of the Yotsuba?"

"Your Excellency, do you wish to weaken the Yotsuba?"

"At this rate, the Yotsuba will become too powerful. They might even surpass the Ten Master Clans altogether."

"In terms of combat power, yes, the Yotsuba are head and shoulders above the other Master Clans."

"And that won't do. The Yotsuba have used their magicians as weapons - including themselves. It's true that magicians were initially developed as weapons, but as such, they'll eventually be ejected from the world of mankind."

"Your Excellency. Just as you are aware of our situation, I, too, have some knowledge of the situation on your side. In fact, I even believe that I know the reason why you're so concerned about Tatsuya."

Tatsuya and Kyouko arrived at the Magic Association.

"It's not a matter of 'someday,'" Major Kazama continued. "Already, Tatsuya is one of our forces' invaluable assets. This may sound like nepotism on my part, but as a military asset, Tatsuya far outclasses young Ichijou. In terms of point defense, Ichijou Masaki can become, on his own, an asset with the power of an armored regiment. However, Tatsuya on his own is an asset on the level of a strategic nuclear missile. His magic spells are strategic weapons that should be - and are - restricted by several layers of safety locks. It would be beyond cruel to ask him to take on the responsibility of controlling all that on his own."

Meanwhile, the No Head Dragons were, once again, meeting to discuss the situation with the Nine Schools Competition.

"Who knew that Japan's Special Forces would show up?"

"But right now our top priority should be to get rid of that brat."

"Shiba Tatsuya, was it? Just who is this kid?"

The subject of their conversation and Fujibayashi Kyouko were riding an elevator to the top of the Magic Association building.

"The thing is...we have no clue about his background. No info on his family members or any dependents that he might have. As for his personal data, we got zero hits..."

Tatsuya aimed his CAD toward the city.

"Who the heck is this guy?"

Tatsuya fired, and a Generator who was guarding the window in the No Head Dragons' headquarters fell to the ground, dead, before evaporating in a puff of blue flames which quickly disappeared, but not before triggering the overhead sprinklers. Steam and mist quickly filled the room as the phone rang, startling the No Head Dragons. They waited for a minute before answering.

"Hello, No Head Dragons, and members of the East Japan Branch."

"Who are you?"

"Thank you for that day at Fuji," Tatsuya replied from his perch atop the Magic Association. From there, he had a perfect view of the No Head Dragons' headquarters. "I've come to return the favor." Another Generator disappeared in a burst of blue flames, and one No Head Dragon member flipped over the table to provide cover.

"Where is he?" one member asked. "No. 14, where's that coming from?"

No. 14 pointed out the window towards the Magic Association building. The member, boasting a sniper rifle, looked through its scope in the direction No. 14 had indicated. He was shocked to see Shiba Tatsuya, clad entirely in black, standing at the very top of the Magic Association. He was even more shocked to see a small smirk form on Tatsuya's face, indicating that Tatsuya could see him. There was a flash of light, and suddenly, the man's eye felt like it was on fire.

"I've destroyed all of the lubrication around your eye," Tatsuya said over the phone. "Now, one of the most sensitive organs in the human body is in direct contact with your eye socket. Any movement of the eye creates friction, which will be extremely painful to you. Fun fact: your eyes naturally move between seventy to one hundred times per second. Have fun," Tatsuya said as the man screamed in pain.

"No. 14, No. 16 - kill him!" another member said.

"Impossible, sir," No. 14 said.

"Can't reach him," No. 16 said.

"Don't talk back!" the man with the sniper rifle screamed. "Kill him!"

"You really think I'd let them?" Tatsuya said as No. 14 and No. 16 also disappeared with the signature blue tongue of fire. "Instead of ordering your tools around, why don't you try doing it yourself?"

One No Head Dragon member pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"It's futile," Tatsuya said over cell phone's speaker, causing the man to drop his phone in shock. "Right now, I'm the only one you can communicate with from that room."

"That's ridiculous!" the man with the cell phone shouted. "How the heck did you...?" His question was interrupted by a flash of light as his skin disappeared. His entire body erupted in uncontrollable pain. "What did you do to me?!" he screamed.

"I destroyed several of your non-important organs," Tatsuya replied. "You no longer have any skin, any hair, any teeth, any fingernails, any toenails, a spleen, your kidneys, your intestines, or the lining of your stomach."

"Several of those sound important, though!" another member shouted.

"That's true," Tatsuya admitted. "But he won't die immediately. I didn't delete his heart or his brain or his eyes or his ears or anything important like that. He will die soon, though. After all, it isn't long before the hydrochloric acid in his stomach burns through his entire abdomen."

As if right on cue, the skinless man started screaming as holes appeared around his stomach area, with blood and bile pouring out and covering his legs - legs which, without any skin, were extremely sensitive at the moment, causing even more pain. The man with the sniper rifle and the burning eye, seeing this, tried to run for the door. He didn't get two steps before his legs crumbled beneath him.

"I've given you an artifical version of osteoporosis, also known as brittle bone disease," Tatsuya said. "Had you not tried to run, you might have survived until morning. But your newly-brittle legs, unaccustomed to your weight, caved in upon themselves when you put too much pressure on them. Also, the impact from the fall shattered your ribcage, sending fragments of bone through your heart and your lungs, both of which are filling up with blood. Good luck. Now then, let's get started," he said to the three remaining No Head Dragons members.

"W-Wait! Hold on a second," one said hastily.

"What am I supposed to hold on for?"

"W-We have no intention of interfering with the NSC any further!"

"The NSC will end tomorrow."

"Not only from the NSC - the No Head Dragons will withdraw from Japan!"

"And you have the authority to promise me such a thing, Douglas Huang?"

"I'm the boss's adviser!" he pleaded. "He can't ignore what I have to say!"

"If you really have that much influence, then surely you've seen the boss's face, right?"

"I've been granted an audience with him, yes."

"What's your boss's name?"

Douglas hesitated to answer, and a man standing behind him cried out in pain.

"Douglas Huang, you remember what I did to the man with the sniper rifle? I removed the lubrication from his right eye, so it rubbed directly against the eye socket. Do you know what that's called when it happens to your brain? Concussion. Right now your friend is experiencing infinite instantaneous concussions, seeing as how I have removed the protective fluid from his brain."

"James!" Douglas cried as the man fell over, blood leaking from his ears.

"Ah, so you're James Zhu, eh? I'm sorry, I meant to say you _were_ James Zhu. It looks like his brain gave out from the trauma. Would you like to be next, Douglas Huang?" There were only two members of the No Head Dragons left.

"Hold on a second," Douglas said as he dropped to his knees. "The boss's name is Yotsuba Maya."

"I thought the No Head Dragons were based in Hong Kong. How is it that one of Japan's Ten Master Clans is the leader?"

"Our leader was Richard Sun up until a few months ago when Ms. Yotsuba took over by force. She ordered us to keep operating as usual, but would give us certain instructions every now and then."

"Did these instructions include plans for sabotaging the Nine Schools Competition?"

"Only in certain parts of that operation...for example, which contestants' CADs to alter and which events to rig."

There was a long pause.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"You believe me, then?"

"Yes, without a doubt, you're an adviser of Yotsuba Maya, the No Head Dragon boss," Tatsuya said he ejected his Silver Horn's magazine, and replaced it with one from his coat pocket. He then took out a small metal stick-like object and attached it to the end of his Silver Horn, before activating the spell. The other man in the room - the last No Head Dragons member aside from Douglas Huang - suddenly dropped to the ground and writhed around for a couple seconds before going limp.

"But why?" Douglas said feebly. "We didn't go so far as to take lives! We didn't kill anyone, remember?"

"How many people you killed, or how many you let live, is irrelevant to me. You people incurred my wrath; that's reason enough for you to meet your demise."

"You demon!"

Tatsuya pulled the trigger of his CAD again, and Douglas Huang dropped to the floor.

"I see why Mayumi didn't think this would have been a romantic date," Tatsuya said to Kyouko, who was standing behind him.

"Wait, you invited her to this?"

"I thought it would show her that she can trust me when I say she is in danger."

"Tatsuya, girls don't want to be scared by a guy they're interested in. They want to be reassured. You should count yourself lucky that she didn't come along."

"In hindsight, I completely agree."

* * *

 **~August 12th, 2095~**

Tatsuya woke with a start. _Something doesn't feel right..._ he thought. _I wonder...no matter_ _. If I'm about to go to war with the Yotsuba, I'd best be prepared for any eventuality._ And with that, he began to use Elemental Sight to collect the necessary data to use Rewind, another little experiment of his.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

While Hanzou and Kirihara were competing in the official Monolith Code event semifinals, Tatsuya was meeting with Major Kazama and other members of the 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion in the Major's hotel room.

"Good work last night," Major Kazama said.

"No, I should be apologizing to you for troubling you over a personal matter," Tatsuya replied. "Forgive me."

"It' wasn't a personal matter," Captain Yanagi replied. "I got attacked, too."

"And last night, we were able to obtain crucial combat data," Captain Sanada added. "It's not often that we can get our hands on long-range sniping magic that was successful at such a distance. And that final spell that you used...you've perfected Baryon Lance, haven't you?"

"That was the final field test, yes," Tatsuya confirmed.

"I'm glad, Tatsuya," said Major Kazama, "especially considering the information that you uncovered last night. We've already picked up Richard Sun and handed him over to Public Safety - both them and Internal Affairs were happier than expected - but it's the No Head Dragons' new boss that worries me."

"The fact that my oba-sama has been behind everything that has happened during this competition surprises me," Tatsuya said, "but then again, I should have expected it. I guess I just didn't think that she would be so overt."

"What are you going to do about it, Tatsuya?" Major Kazama asked.

"It depends on what her goals appear to be," Tatsuya replied. "I should have a pretty good idea of what they are soon enough, so I'll let you know what my plans are then. But whatever her motives are, I cannot let what she did to Miyuki and Mayumi stand."

"I thought you would have taken out all your frustration on those No Head Dragon leaders last night," Sanada said. "Judging from the mess we had to clean up, you did quite a number on them."

"I apologize for the inconvenience-"

"Nonsense! If you had destroyed the bodies with Decomposition, we wouldn't have been able to analyze the effects of Baryon Lance."

"That's a pretty flimsy excuse, Captain," Tatsuya said dryly. "But in any case, Douglas Huang made it clear that Maya ordered the No Head Dragons to attack Miyuki and Mayumi. She will pay for that."

"I'm glad to hear you say so," Major Kazama said. "Last night, Kudou Retsu paid me a visit. He, too, was worried about the Yotsuba gaining too much power."

"I see."

"Tatsuya, if you decide to make a move against the Yotsuba, you will have the backing of the 101-IMEB," Major Kazama said. "I assume you will also have the support of the Kudou clan and the Magic Association, so feel free to handle this in any way you see fit."

"Any way I see fit?"

"You are the legal son of the Yotsuba leader, after all. Aside from that, you're also a valued member of this team, and each of us would trust you with our lives. Consider this an advance on your paycheck."

"Thank you, Major Kazama," Tatsuya said. "But I won't be making any overt moves against the Yotsuba for a while. Whatever we do needs to happen fast - almost instantaneously - if we are to pull it off. The Yotsuba can't have any time to recover. That's why I'm going to spend a lot of time planning my moves in advance, but when the time comes, I appreciate your support."

"That's assuming that you make the first move," Sanada said. "We don't know what the Yotsuba are planning, but it seems serious."

"Of course, if they were to make a preemptive attack, I wouldn't just sit still, Captain," Tatsuya said. "There are some preparations which I expect I will be making, so I'll be ready for whatever they do."

"I sure hope so, Tatsuya," Kazama said, before being distracted by a noise on the television. "Oh, it appears First High won the semifinal. Well, since that's about all we had to discuss, there's no reason to keep you here. You should at least watch the final from the stands."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Lina was on the phone with Sylvia.

"I found him, Sylvie. The actual Mahesvara."

"Really? You're not just framing someone else, are you?"

"No! It's really him...the boy from the Monolith Code competition."

"Shiba Tatsuya, then? The one who singlehandedly defeated Ichijou Masaki?"

"It's him. The spell he used to restore Ms. Saegusa is exactly like the one used by the Mahesvara."

"...that's it?"

"Huh? I thought that was solid proof!"

"He could have easily learned that spell from the Mahesvara."

"Not if it's a unique spell!"

"Do you know that it's a unique spell?"

"No, but I still think it's a good indication that he's the Mahesvara."

"Well, you are the Head Captain, I suppose..."

"That's right. So... What do you think I should do about it?"

"That's why you called? You want my help?"

"Yeah...I want to kill him and go home, but I also think that might be a little drastic..."

"I'll say! Especially when you don't know if it's him. I'd advise that you first gather some actionable intelligence, and then you can make a decision about what to do."

"Good plan."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

"I received word from the clan meeting last night," Mayumi said.

"Oh?" Jumonji was curious.

"They're...less than happy with the result of the rookie Monolith Code tournament."

"I can imagine."

"Two descendants of the Ten Master Clans defeated by a team with two Course 2 students...not to mention that whole accident with Ms. Shields and Muspelheim," Mayumi said with a shudder. "My father was particularly upset at the Kudou clan for that. It didn't help that Kudou Retsu didn't show up at all. I heard that the Yotsuba went as far as to publicly question his leadership of the clans. So this is what Tatsuya was talking about..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The night before the Monolith Code tournament, he said that he was worried about something," Mayumi explained. "But he wouldn't tell me what - just that if he hadn't promised me that he would compete, he would back out."

"You think he anticipated this?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But that doesn't matter, anyway. This animosity between the clans is a result of our mistake, and I'm going to do something about it."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I am tempted to call a sub-meeting of the Ten Master Clan members who have some sort of relationship to this trouble. That would be you, me, Ichijou, Ms. Shields, and both Tatsuya and Miyuki, even though they aren't in the Clans. You know, even if it were just a branch, if only Tatsuya had the blood of the Ten Master Clans in his veins, he wouldn't have to go through this..." Mayumi seemed lost in thought for a second. "Anyway, I want this sub-meeting to come up with a unified plan for fixing the relationships between the Clans."

"That certainly sounds like a better plan than just letting this animosity grow and boil over into an all-out power struggle, which is what it's sure to turn into if left unchecked."

"Then you agree with me?"

"Indeed. I'll also have a chat with Tatsuya beforehand."

"Eh? Why? What about?"

"Just about how his actions will now have consequences."

As they were finishing their conversation, First High won the Official Monolith Code event, bringing the Nine Schools Competition to a close.

"This concludes this year's National Magic High School Goodwill Magic Game Convention..." said the announcer as the students prepared for the closing ceremony.

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

 _That long ceremony finally came to an end, but it's not over yet, huh?_ Tatsuya thought as he stood watching the ball that was held in celebration of the Nine Schools Competition. Looking over to Miyuki, he saw that she was talking with Ichijou Masaki, so he decided to go over and join them.

"It's been two days, Ichijou Masaki," he said as he walked up to them, startling Miyuki, whose back was turned to Tatsuya.

"Shiba Tatsuya, huh?" Masaki replied. A crowd had been gathering around Miyuki, but it quickly dissipated as Masaki and Tatsuya began their tense exchange.

"How's your hearing?" Tatsuya asked.

"Not to worry, and you have no business worrying about me, anyway," Masaki said. It seemed like he didn't want to talk to Tatsuya.

"I guess that's true," Tatsuya replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then, as Masaki looked at the siblings, he seemed to come to a realization.

"Wait...Shiba? Are you brother and sister?"

"You never realized that until now, then?" Tatsuya asked.

"So Tatsuya and I didn't look like siblings to you, Masaki," Miyuki said with a laugh.

"Huh?" Masaki said, embarrassed. "No...uh...yes."

"You'll just be in the way if you plant yourself there forever," Lina said as she joined them. "Mr. Shiba, Ms. Shiba, good evening."

"Ms. Shields," Tatsuya said politely before turning to his sister. "Miyuki, why don't you go dance with Ichijou?"

As they walked towards the dance floor, Masaki looked back and gave Tatsuya a silent nod of appreciation.

"Now we can get down to business," Lina said, suddenly stern. "I know who you are. Now, if you can come with me, Mahesvara..."

"Um...Tatsuya?" Lina was interrupted by the timely appearance of Mitsui Honoka.

"What is it, Honoka?" he asked.

"Um...well..." she said, looking suggestively towards the dance floor, then back at Tatsuya.

"Shall we dance, Honoka?" Tatsuya said, extending his hand. _It's the least I can do for saving me from Ms. Shields' inquiries, after all._

"With pleasure!" Honoka could barely contain herself.

"Ms. Shields, it was a pleasure talking to you," Tatsuya said. "I would hope that we could continue this conversation sometime, though I think it is very unlikely that we will see each other again." It was his way of saying that she had missed her opportunity to get him, and Lina understood this.

"Of course, Mr. Shiba," she said. "Have fun dancing with Ms. Mitsui!"

Tatsuya ended up dancing with many of the female athletes that night. Honoka, Shizuku, Eimi...though he spent the most time dancing with Mayumi, and anyone could tell that it was more than just a formality for them as they stared deeply into each others' eyes.

"I've never seen Tatsuya so obviously emotional," Miyuki whispered to Masaki as they were dancing. "She really brings out a whole new side of him."

"So he's not usually like that?" Masaki whispered back.

"Well, you've met him, right? He's usually not emotional at all."

"I thought he just didn't like me."

"No, I think he likes you, Masaki."

"Why do you think that, Miyuki?"

"Because I like you, and I think he would like you out of brother-sister loyalty."

"I-I'm glad to hear you say that, Miyuki," Masaki whispered. "I want you to know that I like you too."

Masaki's boyish nervousness elicited a small giggle from Miyuki, which, in turn, made Masaki smile.

When Tatsuya was done dancing - not that he ever wanted to be done dancing with Mayumi, but an ojou-sama of a Master Clan is supposed to be hospitable and dance with a lot of people - he was surprised to find Jumonji approaching him.

"Chairman?"

"Shiba, come with me a second," Jumonji said.

They stepped outside of the hotel's ballroom, into the nearby gardens.

"Shiba, you're a member of the Ten Master Clans, right?"

"No," Tatsuya lied. "I'm not from the Ten Master Clans."

"Is that right? Then as per the clan meeting, I'm going to advise you as the magician who's serving as assistant head of the Jumonji family. Shiba, you should join the Ten Master Clans. Let's see...for example, how about Saegusa?"

"How about...? By any chance, are you suggesting her as my bride?"

"That's right."

"Then I'm going to tell you what I told Miyuki. I don't think Ms. Saegusa would have me as a husband because I cannot be fully honest with her."

"So I see you've been thinking about this, then, Shiba."

"I'd like to know what happened at the clan meeting."

"Propose to Saegusa and I'll tell you."

"Is that a joke, Chairman?"

"I'm being completely serious, Shiba. After the upset the other day in Monolith Code, a lot of people aren't happy. You would be wise to join a Clan as soon as possible, and you and Saegusa make a great pair. If, of course, you aren't already in the Ten Master Clans."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All the secrets surrounding you...all the information control...it's not natural, even for someone with silver in their veins."

"So you know about that, then."

"Saegusa told me a while back. I find it hard to believe that someone like you would be able to escape the grasp of the Ten Master Clans completely."

"Many things that sound improbable are true."

"Which is why I haven't dug into your life, unlike Saegusa and Watanabe, Shiba."

"And I thank you for that, Chairman. But I would still like to know what happened at the clan meeting that prompted this conversation."

"You can't languish about too long, you know," Jumonji said as he left, ignoring Tatsuya's request.

"Tatsuya?" Mayumi said as she walked up. "What did Jumonji want with you?"

"Uh...it was just...nothing important, at least not for now..."

"Well, at any rate, could you please come with me? I'm having a meeting in a few minutes."

"A meeting of who?"

"You'll see when we get there. But first, let's stop by the ballroom and grab Miyuki."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Mayumi entered the conference room with Tatsuya and Miyuki. Masaki, Lina, and Jumonji were already there. Masaki was surprised to see Tatsuya and happy to see Miyuki; Lina was surprised to see Miyuki and happy to see Tatsuya, but for a different reason, and Jumonji just had the same serious expression on his face that he had when he left Tatsuya. Mayumi gestured towards two empty seats, obviously reserved for Tatsuya and Miyuki, and once they had sat, she cleared her throat and started talking.

"I'm sure you all must have a suspicion about why you're here. It's about last night's Ten Master Clans meeting. I'm afraid First High made a serious mistake in the Monolith Code competition, and as their Student Council President, I would like to apologize on behalf of the school."

"What's this about, Ms. Saegusa?" Lina asked. "Your team won Monolith Code...in fact, ours was the one that made a mistake. I don't see why you're apologizing."

"It's because of the fact that we won, along with the circumstances surrounding our victory," Mayumi replied. "Let me explain. It was a decision of mine and Jumonji's to have Tatsuya be the team leader for the rookie Monolith Code event, and he selected the other team members, including myself. Therefore, when Tatsuya defeated you, Mr. Ichijou, your family - and the entire Ten Master Clans, in fact - was upset that an unknown, Course 2 magician triumphed over a Ten Master Clans member. The fact that you're the scion of the Ichijou clan didn't help at all."

"I think I see where this is going," Masaki said.

"Then, when Ms. Shields accidentally cast Muspelheim, my injuries were broadcast to the entire nation," Mayumi continued. "That created a rift between the Saegusa and Kudou families, even though I tried telling my father that it was an innocent mistake. The Ichijou clan sided with the Kudou clan, saying that it was simply an accident that didn't do any harm in the end. The Yotsuba, however, sided with the Saegusa, citing my burns as evidence that it did do harm. The Yotsuba then went on to attack the Kudou clan, saying that Ms. Shields was so inexperienced that she could not tell that her CAD had been tampered with. And, likewise, the rest of the Ten Master Clans also chose sides."

"Where was my great uncle during all of this?" Lina asked. "I find it hard to believe that he was unable to control that mess."

"He wasn't present at the meeting, Ms. Shields," Mayumi said. "He apparently had to meet a military official at the time, which the Clans - particularly the Saegusa and Yotsuba - took as a snub, as if he felt like he was too good to attend the meeting. And thus, you can see why I feel the need to apologize: I made a choice because I wanted to win, and it ended up creating the largest schism between the Ten Master Clans in history. Because of me, Japanese magic society has fractured into factions, and because of that, I am truly sorry."

"Don't tell me you called us here just to apologize," Masaki said.

"Not at all, Mr. Ichijou," Mayumi replied. "I want us to figure out a solution to this that we can present to our parents in order to fix the relationships between the Ten Master Clans, but I'll need your help to do it."

"May I ask a question?" Tatsuya said, speaking for the first time since entering the room.

"Certainly, Tatsuya."

"Exactly how bad did it get?"

"There were calls for Kudou Retsu to step down as Patriarch and as head of the Magic Association, which were only strengthened by his absence. Without some sort of intervention, I believe that this has the possibility to lead to a civil war between the Clans."

"May I be permitted one more question?"

"Of course."

"Who started it? When the results of the rookie Monolith Code final were discussed, who first rallied the Ten Master Clans into a frenzy?"

"I'm not sure, but I believe it was the Yotsuba."

"It seems like the Yotsuba are using an unusual amount of influence to make sure this turns into a big deal," Jumonji noted. "Is that what you were thinking of, Shiba?"

"Indeed," Tatsuya replied, before turning to Miyuki. "May I?"

"May you wh - oh, I see," Miyuki said as Tatsuya touched her hand and used a special technique, Psion Transfer, to let her know what he planned to do. "It's your decision, Tatsuya, but I think you'll need as many allies as you can get."

"I agree, Miyuki," Tatsuya said before letting out a deep sigh. "Miyuki and I would like to apologize as well, everyone. I - we - have kept vital information from you, information which this situation demands be revealed. Let me start with the No Head Dragons."

"For those of you who didn't know, the No Head Dragons are a criminal organization," Mayumi said. "We believed they were the ones behind all of the interference in this year's NSC."

"Indeed," Tatsuya said. "I had been conducting my own investigation and determined that they were the source of every single important mishap in this competition. Last night, I attacked their headquarters and got information out of them, information which pertains to their motives."

"What do you mean when you say you got information out of them?" Masaki asked.

"I tortured them," Tatsuya replied coldly. "And then, once I learned what I needed to know, I killed them. Every single one."

"You told me you might do something like that," Mayumi said with a shudder, "but you didn't mention the torture. Just what did you do to them?"

"Trust me - you don't want to know, Mayumi," Tatsuya replied. "The point is that I learned the identity of the person who ordered the Nine Schools Competition to be sabotaged. It was Yotsuba Maya."

"Why does that not come as a surprise?" Masaki said. "Is that what you wanted to apologize for? The fact that you kept this information to yourself for twelve hours or so? Because if so, there's no need to apologize."

"No, I am merely explaining why I need to apologize," Tatsuya said. "It seems that the Yotsuba have been manipulating events to create the current situation within the Ten Master Clans, and that these manipulations have injured several of you - Jumonji, Miyuki, Mayumi, and Ichijou, if I'm not mistaken, were all at one point injured to a varying degree as a result of the Yotsubas' manipulation."

"What are you getting at, Shiba?" Jumonji asked, eyes narrowing.

"I am here to apologize on behalf of the Yotsuba family," Tatsuya stated plainly. "As the son of Yotsuba Maya, I offer an apology to everyone here for the injuries received, the current situation with the Ten Master Clans, and the fact that I lied to you about my identity."

No one said anything for a minute. They were all looking at Tatsuya, who had complimented his apology with a deep bow. Then Masaki turned to Miyuki.

"Are you, too, a member of the Yotsuba?"

"I am, Masaki," Miyuki replied. "In fact, most of the family thinks I'm going to be the next head of the Yotsuba."

"But what is your relationship to the Yotsuba, exactly?" Masaki asked. "Your name is Shiba, after all. So is your brother's, for that matter, but he just identified himself as the son of Yotsuba Maya."

"Our mother was Yotsuba Miya, elder sister of Yotsuba Maya," Tatsuya explained. "She married Shiba Tatsurou, our father, and gave birth to Miyuki and I. However, she died when we were young, and her sister Maya adopted me."

"But she didn't adopt Miyuki," Mayumi said, regaining her voice. "Is that why you two were always so awkward around each other when you first came to First High?"

"Not really," Miyuki said. "Being separate wouldn't have done that. It was entirely the Yotsubas' doing."

"Miyuki, you don't have to tell them this if you don't want to," Tatsuya said.

"No, it's fine," she replied. "See, most of my family thinks of Tatsuya as a defect, since he has an extremely slow Activation Speed. Thus, because I was raised by my guardian, Honami, and constantly surrounded by other Yotsuba family members, I adopted this viewpoint as well. Needless to say, as soon as Tatsuya and I were reunited at First High School, I began to see the true value of my brother."

"That's awful, Miyuki," Masaki said gently. "I have two younger sisters myself, and I'd feel horrible if I discovered that my family had raised me with an incorrect opinion of them."

"Thank you, Masaki," Miyuki said. "And - thank you for understanding, about the whole 'Yotsuba' thing."

"It actually makes me feel better about losing to your brother," Masaki replied. "Losing to a Ten Master Clans member is one thing, but losing to an unknown magician...that really hurt."

"Shiba, why are you telling us about yourself now?" Jumonji asked. "I asked if you were in the Ten Master Clans not thirty minutes ago, and you denied it then. What's changed?"

"Everything, Chairman," Tatsuya replied. "Before, I didn't know what the Yotsubas' goal was, so I wasn't ready to make any moves."

"But now you know," Mayumi said. "Because of the Ten Master Clans meeting - right?"

"That's right," Tatsuya said. "The one barrier that has kept the Ten Master Clans from taking control of Japan is that they aren't allowed to have any political power. It would seem that the Yotsuba are trying to overcome this and place themselves at the top of the Ten Master Clans, possibly even atop Japan itself. And who knows what they will do from there."

"So you're going to stop them, then?" Lina asked, narrowing her eyes. "How do you expect to do that? You're just one person, after all, and the Yotsuba are an entire family of magicians."

"That's the other reason why I revealed myself tonight," Tatsuya said. "As Miyuki stated before I apologized, I'm going to need as many allies as I can get. I would like all of you to help me fight the Yotsuba."

"Are you sure you want to do that, Shiba?" Masaki asked. "Why not let the military handle them?"

"I have been in communication with the military, and they have delegated this task to me," Tatsuya replied.

"Just what is your relationship with the military, exactly?"

Tatsuya seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.

"I occasionally work for them under the name Taurus Silver," he said. "Though most of my work as Silver is done through Four Leaves Technology, a Yotsuba-controlled company."

"I see," Masaki said. "That makes sense, considering the technology your school used during the Nine Schools Competition."

 _Could I have been wrong about him?_ Lina thought. _Maybe that healing spell was technology from Taurus Silver. If that's what it was, I wonder what he must think about me... In any case, I can't make a move on him until I'm sure. It's still very suspicious, though._

"Ms. Shields," Tatsuya said. "You look as if you want to say something." Lina was caught off guard.

"Uh...no! It's nothing," she stammered. "I'd just like to say that I'll help as much as I can, if that's okay with you..."

"I appreciate your support, Ms. Shields," Tatsuya said.

"I, too, would be honored to help, Shiba," Masaki said. "After all, the Yotsuba had the gall to turn the Ten Master Clans against each other. I can't let that stand. And on a more personal note, Yotsuba Maya put her own niece in danger just to further her own ambitions. There's nothing she wouldn't do, meaning that Miyuki will be in danger until the Yotsuba are stopped."

"I am also upset at the Yotsubas' methods and motivations," agreed Jumonji. "I'm also embarrassed that this happened on my watch. I feel like I played right into their hands, which I cannot abide."

"I'll always stand by you, Tatsuya," Mayumi said with a smile and a tear in her eye. "I'm glad you've been able to tell me about yourself."

"I'll fight with you, of course," Miyuki said, "but how are we going to fight? We can't make any overt moves against the Yotsuba. The Ten Master Clans won't accept it, no matter how fractured they are."

"Politics," replied Tatsuya. "This mess started with politics, and it's going to end with politics. Actually, it will end after they're all dead, but politics will bring us to the point where that can happen. Now all that's needed is a plan. It would be easiest to throw off the Yotsubas' plans by revealing that Miyuki and I are Yotsubas ourselves, but the Yotsuba would probably disown us if we did that, ruining any credibility that we might have had."

"I have an idea about what to do - at least, about Miyuki's credibility," Masaki said, trying to gather some confidence. "She could, perhaps, marry into another Master Clan."

"Masaki, are you suggesting anyone in particular?" Miyuki said with a sly smile.

"I...um...well..." Masaki looked over at Tatsuya, who nodded, giving Masaki his permission. "Miyuki, would you care to walk with me for a minute?" Masaki said, extending his arm for her to take. "I have something important to discuss."

"It would be my pleasure, Masaki."

 _Why does that hurt so much?_ Lina wondered.

After they had left, Tatsuya turned to Mayumi.

"Along those same lines," Tatsuya said, "would you care to join me for a stroll, Mayumi?"

Mayumi blushed, as she was aware of what was about to happen.

"I'd be delighted, Tatsuya."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya and Mayumi were walking through the hotel's expansive gardens.

"So you're a Yotsuba, then."

"Indeed."

"You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't tell you a lot of things, Mayumi."

"Is there anything you're still keeping from me?"

"Yes. Things that are confidential, that I'm legally not allowed to tell you."

"I understand that, I guess."

"So...was that soon enough for you, Mayumi?"

"Hm?" Mayumi was lost in thought.

"You made me promise to tell you about myself sooner than later. You now know most of my secrets...was that soon enough?"

"It was, yes...though it was also much quicker than I expected, Tatsuya."

"Circumstances changed. It was the best course of action."

"I'm not complaining...I am still processing the information, though. A Yotsuba...on one hand, I am relieved. My father won't have any serious objection to our relationship now, but on the other hand, I'm worried about what I'm getting myself into."

"As you should be, Mayumi. But don't worry - I'll protect you."

"You seem to forget that I am a powerful magician myself, Tatsuya."

"I know you are, Mayumi. But not even you can withstand the full force of a Yotsuba attack."

"And what of you, then? Are you saying that you are able to do that?"

"Indeed, Mayumi. I was built to be a weapon-"

"I don't want to hear more about that, Tatsuya," Mayumi said with a sigh. "It's not romantic at all! Though Mari did have an interesting theory about that. She thinks that you're so cold because you think you're a weapon."

"It's the other way around, Mayumi. I am a weapon because I don't have emotions."

"But you do have emotions, Tatsuya! I know you do. You must! After all, you tried pushing me away to keep me safe out of your love for me, right?"

Tatsuya smiled.

"Honestly, I didn't know I could feel emotions outside of my care for Miyuki. Falling for you took me completely by surprise...but you're exactly right."

"I knew it! And that's why I forgave you yesterday, Tatsuya. If you loved me enough to ruin your relationship with me, just to keep me safe, how could I not love you in return?"

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Mayumi, because there's something I want to ask you. I just haven't known what your answer would be until now. Though, be warned, I didn't expect to do this so quickly...this is going to be a little raw, but it's no less...heartfelt," he said, using the word 'heartfelt' for the first time.

Tatsuya stopped walking and got down on one knee.

"Tatsuya..." Mayumi blushed. "It is really fast - less than a year, in fact - but I feel the same way."

He took her hand in his.

"I know that these aren't the optimal conditions, with a possible civil war on the horizon and my family's role in it..."

Mayumi's breath began to falter and tears formed in her eyes, despite Tatsuya's completely unromantic beginning.

"...and I'm afraid I don't have a ring or anything, because I am doing this much, much earlier than I expected, so I haven't had time to plan..."

Mayumi's heart was beating a million times per second. Tatsuya's heart was surprisingly beating just as fast - this could be the first time he ever felt real excitement.

"...but if there's one thing I know, one thing that you've taught me, it's that we are better together than we are apart. I'd like to make it permanent," he said softly, as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth. "This doesn't mean I'll tell you anything...in fact, you may be in even greater danger now than before...but Ms. Saegusa Mayumi, could you find it in your heart to do me the tremendous honor of becoming my wife?"

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"I think we've found him, sir."

"The Mahesvara? That's one less thing to worry about. How is the planning for the invasion going, Ganghu?"

"Excellent, Mr. Xiangshan. Our Japanese ally is certainly coming through on her end of the deal."

"That's good. Begin surveillance on the Mahesvara and all his known associates. I don't want to have to worry about his involvement."

"Other governments will be after him as well."

"The more the merrier, Ganghu. If the opportunity presents itself, we can just let someone else take him out for us."

"I'll get right on it, sir."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Well, it's about time. Took him long enough."

* * *

 **Author's Note: wow, this was a fun arc to write! I have gotten a couple of complaints, however, namely the fact that Miyuki's opinion of Tatsuya seems to have magically improved over the time gap between the two arcs. I mean, they aren't wrong; it's a serious complaint. But when I decided to show an improvement in their relationship, using the time gap that was already in the anime seemed like the easiest way to explain it. However, the talk about this has prompted me to consider writing a "Seperate Ways One-Shots" series focusing on the "in between" time between story arcs. It wouldn't be updated regularly, and would mostly featured interations between major characters, but it would help fill in some of those holes. If you have an opinion on whether or not I should do that, there's a poll on my profile page that you should fill out.** **And, as always, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! Seriously, though...you don't know how much I appreciate reviews, even negative/critical ones. Those are the ones that show me where I can improve, and I've tried to accommodate as many as I can while still retaining my original idea (to that one guy who criticized _Separate Ways_ for merely being a rewrite of the anime with some twists, I say you should have read the summary beforehand). But anyways, thanks, and I look forward to seeing what you have to say about the next arc.**

 **~MC**


	19. Yokohama Disturbance Part 1

**[Episode 19: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 1]**

"Why is he so slow?!"

"Well, my lady, he wouldn't be able to use magic at all if it weren't for your late sister's intervention, but the artificual Magic Calculation Area isn't powerful enough-"

"I'm not talking about his magic, Hayama. He's sure taking his time with his plans."

"But, my lady...isn't that a benefit?"

"Just what exactly are you implying, Hayama? That perhaps Tatsuya is powerful enough to wipe us out, and that any spare time is a blessing?"

"Not to understate your own abilities, my lady, but the current situation does seem to somewhat resemble the picture you just painted."

"You know that if Tatsuya were to make a move against us, his sister wouldn't allow it. That is her entire purpose, after all."

"Indeed, my lady, but Ms. Miyuki is seemingly warming up to him. It's possible that she might choose his side."

"Given enough time, maybe. But I grow tired of waiting for him to act. Let's have our associates make their move quickly, in order to provoke Tatsuya."

"I'll have Shirakawa speak to Ganghu about it, my lady. While we're on the subject, Xiangshan has been requesting that we assassinate the person he believes to be the Mahesvara - a certain Shiba Tatsuya."

"Ignore him."

"But, my lady-"

"It's unlike you to question orders, Hayama. Don't start now."

"Certainly, my lady. I just want to be wary of provoking Xiangshan unnecessarily. He might - no, he will - choose to lash out on his own if he feels you're not doing anything."

"All the more reason to stay out of it, Hayama. Tatsuya can easily avoid their assassination attempts, and we won't draw any more attention to ourselves."

"Very well, my lady. But what do we say if Xiangshan questions our motives about this matter?"

"Tell him the truth. A version of it, anyway - that Mr. Shiba is currently engaged to Ms. Saegusa Mayumi, and that we don't want to incur the Saegusa family's wrath by assassinating him."

"An unpleasant affair, my lady, but one that does indeed provide good motivation for abstaining from assassinating that insolent boy."

"Hold your tongue, Hayama. And, while you're at it, send a congratulatory card to Kouichi...I heard that Tatsuya and Ms. Saegusa announced their engagement to him a few weeks ago. Now seems as good a time as any to congratulate the new couple. And, Hayama?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Don't mention our connection to Tatsuya as of yet. We don't want anything like that in writing, no matter what Tatsuya may have told the Saegusa."

"Of course, my lady."

"That will be all, Hayama. Oh, and send in Kurebayashi when you leave. I have some matters I want to discuss with him."

"Yes, my lady."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Mr. Xiangshan, our associate as reached out with the go-ahead signal."

"Excellent, Ganghu. We leave tonight."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

 **~Yokohama, Yamashita Pier~**

Two men were using magic to run excessively fast down one of the main piers in Yokohama while also receiving orders from their superior.

"Illegal aliens are arriving ashore from a small cargo ship in Cargo Pier 5. Inspector Chiba, Assistant Inspector Inagaki, please hurry to Cargo Pier 5."

"Seriously?" Chiba Toshikazu moaned. "Not there, again..."

"This is no time to be complaining, Inspector!" Inagaki replied.

"Yeah, but Inagaki..."

"Shut your mouth and run!"

"Excuse me, but I'm your boss," Chiba said, a little irritated at Inagaki's attitude.

"But I'm older than you," Inagaki responded effortlessly.

"Oh, man..."

The two men arrived at the pier to find a group of men with guns watching a ship sail away. Chiba and Inagaki were hiding behind large shipping containers; Chiba signalled to Inagaki that he was going to confront them.

"Freeze!" he shouted, stepping out from behind cover. "We're the police." Predictably, the criminals didn't obey the officer's warning. Instead of freezing, they drew their weapons and aimed at Chiba. He responded by drawing a large katana and activating a magic spell; as the criminals fired at him, he rode through the skies on a blue, magical surfboard...because if you can't use magic to create something as random as a flying surfboard, why even bother using magic at all, am I right? Little did his assailants know that Chiba's flamboyant display of magic was merely a distraction: Inagaki stepped out from behind a shipping container and incapacitated the entire group using magic-assisted weaponry. With the threat ended, Chiba deactivated his magic and landed on the edge of the pier, watching the cargo ship depart.

"Inspector," Inagaki said as he joined Chiba. "Let's secure the ship."

"All right, gotcha," Chiba replied. "Okay, then, Inagaki. You stop the ship."

"If I do it, I might end up sinking it."

"No problem," Chiba replied. "The captain will take responsibility."

Inagaki sighed as he loaded another round into his magic revolver and fired. A few seconds later, a large explosion rocked the ship.

"Bravo," Chiba said, drawing his katana and using magic to leap over to the ship. He sliced open a hole in the main hold, only to find that any remaining criminals had fled through an underwater-access hatch in the hull of the ship. "So we struck out, huh?" Chiba muttered to himself.

* * *

 **~Chinatown, Yokohama~**

Yotsuba Maya's head butler Hayama watched as a brick was pushed out of an old well, followed by several more. A group of men in wetsuits emerged from the hole, whom Hayama greeted.

"First of all, everyone, please get changed and get some rest," Hayama said. "My lady has had me prepare breakfast for you."

"Thank your mistress for her assistance, Mr. Hayama," Xiangshan replied.

* * *

 **~November 10th, 2095 - Saegusa Residence, Kanto~**

"Mr. Shiba, you said that the Yotsuba were going to make a move against the Ten Master Clans and perhaps Japan as a whole and that you wanted to stop them, which you used as justification for becoming engaged to my daughter and starting this entire mess." Saegusa Kouichi furrowed his brow. "Yet it has been over a month since then, and the Yotsuba haven't even begun preparing to make this 'move' of theirs. I'm beginning to doubt your explanation. You'd best share whatever information you have."

"Sir, the very lack of an indication of an attack is the evidence you desire," Tatsuya replied as Mayumi, Miyuki, Masaki, Jumonji, and Lina looked on in anxiety. Their little war against the Yotsuba had yet to progress any, mostly because Tatsuya wanted Maya to make the first move - if he attacked first, Tatsuya argued, the Yotsuba would be legally justified to fight back, and all blame would be on the Saegusa, Ichijou, and Jumonji clans for endorsing the attack. "The Yotsuba are extremely stealthy, Mr. Saegusa; I don't think anyone on Earth would be able to spot their influence unless Yotsuba Maya specifically wanted them to. But rest assured, their plans haven't changed. Don't forget what they did at the Nine Schools Competition-"

"You dare suggest that I could ever erase the image of my daughter's charred corpse from my mind? I see that every time I close my eyes, and it's only out of gratitude to you for saving her that I allow this juvenile cabal to continue," Kouichi vented. "Get me proof of their involvement within a fortnight, or else it's over." And with that, Kouichi dismissed the entire group.

"Don't worry about him, Tatsuya," Mayumi said as they wandered the halls of her family's luxurious mansion. "He's just tired of waiting, that's all. If only something would happen, I think everyone would feel a little more at ease..."

"I know that keeping our engagement a secret is hard, Mayumi," Tatsuya said, turning and placing his hands on her shoulders. "But I can't tell the world that I'm a Yotsuba yet, because-"

"Because that would discredit our side of this cold war, and you'd never subject my family to the humiliation of an engagement between me and a nobody," Mayumi interjected, finishing Tatsuya's sentence for him. "It's exactly what you said last week."

"And it's just as true now as it was then."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to check. I don't even know why I tried to reassure you about my father...you don't seem that worried."

"I have a hunch something will happen soon. The Thesis Competition is in a month, right?"

"Yeah, First High is beginning preparations very soon."

"Well, I think that'll be their next target, given their interference in the NSC."

"The pattern does fit," Mayumi sighed. "Remind me again - how are we sure that those disappearances aren't related to the Yotsuba somehow?"

"We aren't completely sure," Tatsuya said. "But it doesn't feel like their handiwork to me...too sloppy, too many questions asked. It feels more like an experiment of some kind, but what they're testing for, I have no clue."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"Hey, Tatsuya!" They heard a voice from behind, Tatsuya didn't need to turn around to know that it was Saegusa Kasumi, Mayumi's younger sister. Behind Kasumi was her twin Izumi, but she didn't say anything. Not a second after realizing who it was did Tatsuya recognize the familiar sense of magic being cast. He quickly drew his Silver Horn and used it to shatter Kasumi's spell in flight.

"Kasumi! You know better than to cast magic inside the house, let alone at our guest," Mayumi reprimanded her. "You should apologize to Tatsuya right now."

"Oh yeah?" Kasumi replied defiantly. "Well you're not supposed to be alone with him! Dad says it might lead to some unintended consequences, if you get my meaning-"

"Ms. Saegusa," Tatsuya interrupted, "Setting aside your rather unflattering opinion of me, you should not disrespect your elder sister with your words, no matter what your father says about me." Mayumi, meanwhile, had turned beet-red and was hiding behind Tatsuya.

"Kasumi, I think he's right," Izumi whispered in her ear. "I think you may have gone too far this time."

Kasumi looked back at her sister and saw the effect of her words, instantly regretting it. "Mayumi, I'm sorry, I didn't mean...well, you know...I didn't mean to insult you like that." She turned to Tatsuya. "I don't take back anything I said about him, though." With that, she turned and marched off.

"I'm sorry for her conduct, Mr. Shiba," Izumi said with a bow. "I'll talk some sense into her." With that, she left to chase after Kasumi.

"Will your sister always be like that?" Tatsuya asked, turning and embracing Mayumi.

"She's too overprotective of me," Mayumi sighed. "I should be the one who's overprotective of her, but instead I just feel sorry for the targets of her wrath...except for you, of course. You can take it. Others can't."

"I really should be going, Mayumi," Tatsuya replied after being silent for a moment. "Not because of anything she said, but rather, because I don't know the answer to a question and it's bugging me."

"Oh? What question?"

"When was magic born?"

"It's...always been here, right?"

"That's what I've always thought. I'll tell you more once I figure out what it is I'm searching for."

"That's fine," Mayumi said. "I'll go find Miyuki...I bet she's off with Masaki."

"Please, don't trouble yourself," Tatsuya said. "Masaki can take her home, which I think is what Miyuki wants."

"I can see that," Mayumi said with a smile. "It's what I'd want if, well, this wasn't my house." Tatsuya started to leave, but Mayumi grabbed his hand at the last second. "You forgot something," she said, pulling him into a kiss. "I'll see you at school, Mr. Shiba."

"I'll see you there, Ms. Saegusa," Tatsuya said with a smile.

After Tatsuya left, Mayumi went and found Miyuki and Masaki anyway, to let them know that Tatsuya had left and that she was going to further investigate the mysterious disappearances. And with that, Masaki and Miyuki were alone. Or so they thought.

"So, Miyuki," Masaki began, "Why do you think your brother isn't accompanying his fiancee on her investigation?"

"Probably because she didn't tell him about it, so he's off doing his own research," Miyuki replied. "In any case, I don't think we need to worry about them."

"Agreed. I'd much rather spend my time with you than worrying about two very capable magicians who don't need your help. I find that your company is ever more rewarding...they'd probably just be annoyed that we tagged along."

"I pity the fool who comes between a woman and her fiance," Miyuki said with a playful smirk.

"Speaking of..." Masaki edged closer to Miyuki, but fell backwards when a loud voice startled him.

"WHAT'RE YOU TWO DOING?!" Saegusa Kasumi asked accusatorily. "I knew it! Father said that leaving you two alone might result in...unintended consequences...!" Izumi, as usual, stood silently behind her sister.

"M-Ms. Saegusa," Masaki stuttered as Miyuki hid her face from the twins, ashamed. "Are you sure it's appropriate to address us like that? Your sister might be angry..."

"Why would she be angry?" Kasumi sad slyly. "Are you going to tell her that we caught you doing naughty things in her home?"

"N-no...that's not true!" Masaki stammered, but Kasumi ignored him.

"Because if you won't, I will!" she exclaimed as she left. "Come on, Izumi! We've got a phone call to make!"

Masaki was silent for a minute. Miyuki still hadn't looked up out of shame. Eventually, Masaki spoke up.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Miyuki," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure Mayumi will understand that...she is engaged too, after all..."

Meanwhile, Kasumi and Izumi had retreated to their shared bedroom. As soon as they slammed the door shut, they both burst out laughing uncontrollably.

"Your plan worked perfectly, Izumi!" Kasumi gasped in between peals of laughter. "I bet we can get whatever we want from them now!"

"It's all thanks to your acting, Kasumi," Izumi replied, stifling a chuckle. "I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face if I were in your shoes!"

* * *

 **~Later, at the First High Library~**

Tatsuya had been studying the history of magic for a couple hours now. While the first "verified" use of magic was in 1999 in the USNA, tales of magic spanned thousands of years - some of the magic in these tales fit the description of ancient magic and its effects, which Tatsuya surmised to be the only tales with any credibility. He had traced these tales back to the Dark Ages of Ancient European history and a singlular wizard known as Merlin Ambrosius, the Spell-Singer. While other magicians in these tales required lengthy incantations not unlike Ancient Magic, Merlin was said to have cast spells with a snap of his fingers and the pointing of his staff.

"I wonder if that staff was an early CAD?" Tatsuya mused out loud.

"What staff?" asked Watanabe Mari, interrupting Tatsuya's focus. "Oh, the Staff of Merlin? I'd think, if anything, that it was more of an Ancient Magic talisman...like your cloaks during that Monolith Code match."

"Good to see you, Ms. Watanabe," Tatsuya replied. "While I would be inclined to agree, the difference between the cloaks and this staff is that my magic circles could only enhance the user's power, whereas Merlin was described as having cast completely different spells when wielding his staff. The similarities to a CAD cannot be overlooked."

"Why do you care, anyway? Are you perhaps looking for Merlin's staff?"

"Maybe, depending on what I find out along the way," Tatsuya replied. "Right now I'm just researching the history of magic. Out of interest."

"Another thought would be that his staff is a Relic," Mari continued, ignoring Tatsuya. "Those things often have special properties, and there are rumors of other relics from around that time period. Philosophers' stones and the like."

"An entirely different subject matter, but an interesting one all the same," Tatsuya agreed. "Stones that cause magic to occur...such properties could be extremely useful in the field of magic engineering."

"I can imagine," Mari said. "But you don't really have time to ponder about that. Suzune's looking for you. I think it's about next month's Thesis Competition."

"If this is about what I said to Mayumi, please tell Ms. Ichihara that there's probably no need to worry."

"What? No, it's not anything...I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You should go meet with her. She's in the Magic Geometry prep room."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere in Kanto, Tokyo~**

It would be a rare sight to see the eldest daughter of a Master Clan strolling about the city unaccompanied, so Mayumi made sure that no one would recognize her, and she did so in the simplest way possible: she donned a cloak. The person she was meeting with was a friend of her father's, a less-than-honest intelligence broker who regularly served the Saegusa family, yet probably had ties elsewhere. Her father had long suspected his informant of having allies within other Master Clans, but these had never been confirmed.

"So, Hayama, any word on these disappearances?"

"Only that they appear to be worldwide."

"Did you say...world...wide...?"

"Indeed, Ms. Saegusa. It seems that over fifteen million people disappeared relatively instantaneously from all over the world on August 12th. No country came out unscathed."

"I knew Japan was hit hard, but every country? Surely some of the smaller ones must have avoided the attack."

"Not at all. There was not a single country in all the world that was not influenced by the disappearances."

"And you have no leads on what might have happened to them?"

"Well, whatever it was is obviously magical. But no one reported any magical disturbances that day, other than the Astronomer's Guild."

"What's this about the Astronomer's Guild? I haven't heard anything from them," Mayumi said inquisitively.

"Apparently they claimed that the stars skipped a day, whatever that means. Went to the government, wanted to declare a state of national emergency. The government, however, was scrambling after a couple top officials didn't show up for work that morning, and so they put a gag order on the Guild to try to keep the peace."

"And, for better or for worse, it worked," Mayumi said. "But...stars 'skipping' a day? What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you want my personal theory or the information from my sources?"

"Sources, of course."

"Then I have nothing for you. Nobody does. Well, the super-devout Christians claim that the Rapture came, and there's a priest somewhere in Kanto who claims he knows where they went, but everyone just thinks he's referring to Hell. Or something like it. And for all we know, he's probably right."

"And what's your personal theory, Mr. Hayama?"

"Some higher power kidnapped fifteen million people and then wiped the day from the entire world's memory somehow."

"That's a real help, Hayama," Mayumi said sarcastically. "I'd better be going now...what's this info going to cost me?"

"Access, of sorts..."

"Mr. Hayama, I'm afraid the access you seek isn't within my power to give to you..."

"Oh, no, I assure you it is. I would like one invitation, please."

"An invitation?"

"To your wedding, Ms. Saegusa. It is happening soon, is it not? Or is the information I received about an engagement to a certain Shiba incorrect?"

Mayumi stepped back, aghast.

"How do you know about that?"

"The same way I know about anything, Ms. Saegusa. Sources. Now, I obviously don't expect you to have the invites ready so soon, so I shall take payment at a later date."

"Very well. But I think something as valuable as an invitation to my wedding warrants one more question."

"Ask away."

"Have you heard anything about an attack on the Thesis Competition this year?"

Hayama, who had already started walking away, snapped back around, a look of alarm flashing across his face before being replaced by a mask of tranquility.

"Why, no, Ms. Saegusa," he said with thinly-veiled venom. "But, if I do hear anything, I will tell you. I just hope it's not too late. Goodbye, then." He quickly turned and left, and Mayumi headed back to her house, confused about Hayama's swift exit.

Once he was sure Mayumi was out of earshot, Hayama stopped and dialed a number on his cell phone.

"My lady? We may have a problem. I think Ms. Saegusa is on to our friends across the sea."

"All the better, Hayama. All the better..."

* * *

 **~First High Magic Geometry Prep Room~**

"You do know that the Magic Association-hosted Thesis Competition will be held at the end of this month?" the teacher asked. Tatsuya was in a meeting with him, along with Ichihara Suzune and Isori Kei, who were sitting on the sidelines for now.

"Well, I'm not familiar with the specifics," Tatsuya replied.

"If the NSC can be considered a 'warriors' contest, then the Thesis Competition complements it as a nine-school 'writers' contest," the teacher explained. "I'm going to be frank with you. Mr. Shiba, will you do us the honor of participating in the Thesis Competition as a member of First High's team?"

"You're asking...me?" Tatsuya said incredulously.

"Yes, you," the teacher reaffirmed. "We were originally going to have Ms. Ichihara, Mr. Isori, as well as Ms. Hirakawa of Class 3-C compete, but Ms. Hirakawa has recently become indisposed, you see. Therefore, you have been chosen."

 _Hirakawa Koharu of 3-C_ , Tatsuya recalled. _She was the engineer for the player who fell during Mirage Bat._

"But why would you choose a first year like myself?" Tatsuya asked out loud. "Weren't the contestants chosen by the internal Thesis Selection Committee?"

"Compiling the presentation materials is a team effort," the teacher replied, "so you're the best man for the job. Ms. Ichihara will go into further detail. Good day," he said, standing up and leaving Tatsuya, Suzune, and Kei alone.

"I'm the one who recommended you, Shiba," Suzune said as soon as he had left. "I rejected all other would-be substitutes."

"But someone like myself, who never even submitted an application..." Tatsuya said, "to pick me out of the blue...surely that wouldn't sit well with the runners-up?"

"Sekimoto wouldn't cut it!" Suzune said angrily. "He's simply not suited for this kind of work."

"By Sekimoto, do you mean Sekimoto Isao, a member of the Disciplinary Committee?"

"Yes, well, he and I are too far apart on the direction we'd like to take this."

"In the Thesis Competition, there's one primary writer, and two sub-writers, who split the work between them to write up the thesis and build a presentation," Isori Kei explained. "And this time around, our primary writer will be Ms. Ichihara."

"In other words, the theme for Ms. Ichihara's report is right up my alley - is that what you're saying?"

"The theme I have in mind is 'the technical feasibility of a Gravity Control-type Magic thermonuclear fusion reactor.'"

This drew Tatsuya's attention. This was an idea he had toyed with in the past, but put on hold due to the whole 'war with the Yotsuba' thing.

"We only have three weeks left until the Thesis Competition," Suzune continued. "I have determined that the only one who can join the team at this point would be you, Shiba, as our new Vice Chairwoman, your sister, tells me you've worked on the same topic in the past. And, I like to think that I'm a good judge of character," she added.

"Very well," he said. "I'll be happy to cooperate."

"All right, then," Suzune said happily as she stood up, "let me give you a rundown on the Thesis Competition." She walked over to the classroom's smartboard to pull up some pictures. "The Thesis Competition is a venus for high school students to showcase their research on Magic Theory and Magic Engineering. The presentations are entered into the Magic Index, where they're occasionally accessed by universities and corporations. The competition is held every year on the last Sunday of October. The venue alternates between Kyoto and Yokohoma. This year, the venue will be the Yokohoma International Convention Center. We're generally free to go with any topic, but we're required to submit our final draft and an outline of the materials and sequences used in our presentation to the Magic Association in advance. The deadline is two Sundays from now. We'' be submitting everything to the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association, but it will be through the school. To allow for extra time to have Mr. Tsuzura go over our submission, we should get it all done by next Wednesday.

* * *

 **~Meanwhile, outside the Saegusa residence~**

Mayumi encountered Miyuki waving goodbye to a car which was going down the street.

"Masaki?"

"AH! Oh, Mayumi, you startled me. Yes, it's Masaki. Lina, too. They have to head back home to Third High. They've already been gone too long, and they each have responsibilities."

"I completely forgot that Lina was here. She's been pretty quiet these last few weeks, hasn't she?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, she has."

"Are you going to meet up with everyone? I am too, so let's go together. I'll call for a car."

Miyuki couldn't say no. Once they were inside, the awkward tension in the air was palpable. Eventually, Miyuki spoke up.

"No matter what you heard, Masaki and I didn't...you know, do anything...in your house."

"What are you talking about, Miyuki?"

"Kasumi said - that little liar!" Miyuki exclaimed as she realized that it had all been a joke. "She claimed that she was going to tell you that Masaki and I were taking advantage of your hospitality."

"Huh, she did the same thing to Tatsuya and I," Mayumi said thoughtfully. "Did she say that my father insinuated something?"

"Yes!" Miyuki cried, thankful that she wasn't alone. "So she said the same thing to you, too? It must have been a joke on her part."

"Yes, it would seem so," Mayumi said, with less vigor than Miyuki expected.

"Chairwoman, are you okay?"

"Do I have to remind you again? I'm no longer the chairwoman, Miyuki," Mayumi said with a smile. "You should know - you're Vice Chairwoman, after all."

"You're avoiding the question, Mayumi."

"I - well, it started - because of a series of events which I don't have to go into right now," Mayumi said, trying to find the right words, "I find myself wondering if Tatsuya was sincere in his proposal. We've been engaged for almost a month now, but with no talk of moving forward - it's always politics. I'm wondering if he married me because it was the political thing to do."

"Why would you think that, Mayumi? You know that he loves you."

"Well, look at how fast he proposed to me! That's not natural at all, for two people to be engaged after only a handful of months knowing each other - and only about two days after they confessed they had feelings for each other."

"But I had barely spoken to Masaki, and our relationship is fine."

"Masaki has emotions, Miyuki."

Mayumi realized as soon as she said that how hurtful her words were to her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

"I'm sorry, Miyuki, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that he shows his emotions more openly...?"

"It's okay, Mayumi," Miyuki said, using every ounce of her self-control to keep from overreacting. Mayumi did love her brother, after all - it's not like she was trying to insult him. "In any case, this whole plan was pretty much your idea to begin with."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you wanted a political solution that would fix the bonds between the Ten Master Clans. When we've finished off the Yotsuba and publicly announce our engagements, that goal will be accomplished."

"I suppose it is my idea in a sense, then," Mayumi relented. "Oh, look - we're here." The driver dropped them off outside the cafe where Tatsuya and his friends would meet. They walked in to find Tatsuya in the middle of an inquisition.

"Tatsuya, you've been picked for the Thesis Competition team?"

"Yeah..."

"'Yeah'? Tatsuya, could you be any more excited?" Erika asked sarcastically.

"In Tatsuya's eyes, it's just another day at the office, I guess," Leo contributed.

"No, but it really is awesome!" Mikihiko interjected. "The winning thesis from that contest gets written up in Super Nature every year, and even if you finish below second place, it isn't rare for an eye-popping report to turn up in the academic journals. But you don't have a lot of time left, do you?"

"Give or take, nine days before we have to submit it to the school," Tatsuya replied.

"No way!" Honoka exclaimed. "But seriously, that's so soon!"

"Not really," Tatsuya responded. "If the topic Ms. Ichihara had chosen was something totally unfamiliar to me, you can bet that I'd have begged off."

"Oh, yeah?" Leo said, practically daring Tatsuya to show off his knowledge. "What are you guys gonna write about?"

"The technical issues surrounding a Gravity Control-type Magic Sequence Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor and their solutions," Tatsuya said without batting an eyelash. Because these are the kinds of things high schoolers think about in the future.

"Isn't that one of the Three Great Puzzles of Weight-type Magic?" Mikihiko asked.

"Since they asked you to join, Tatsuya, I was sure it would be a CAD programming-related thesis," Mizuki chimed in.

"Oh, that's what I thought," agreed Shizuku.

"Well, Isori Kei is on the team, too," Erika said. "With a topic like that, I'm sure that you can come up with something that's a slam-dunk for victory.

"What'd I miss?" Mayumi said as she and Miyuki pulled chairs up to the table and sat down.

"Not much, Mayumi," Erika said, eliciting an exasperated sigh from the former chairwoman. "Just that Tatsuya has been added to the Thesis Competition team."

"What?!" burst Mayumi, who was just a little scared for Tatsuya's safety (even though such a fear was ungrounded; funny as it may seem, people tend to care very much about the other's well being when they are engaged). "Congratulations, Tatsuya, but will you have enough time to complete the thesis?"

"I think completing the presentation itself shouldn't be a problem," he said. "But that's only if I get to work pretty soon...I could always use your assistance, Mayumi. Care to join me?"

"My pleasure!"

Arm in arm, the two left for Tatsuya's house.

"Is it just me, or have those two been much more familiar with each other than they should be?" Leo asked.

"It's just you," Miyuki said quickly. "But, just the same, I think I'll go with them."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

 _Target. Track. Terminate._

Lina's mission had been updated. It now consisted of only three words, but those words spoke volumes.

 _Target._

Lina had to figure out, once and for all, if Shiba Tatsuya was the Mahesvara. She knew that he was Taurus Silver; it was possible that the abilities of his which were similar to the Mahesvara were a result of his vast intellect, or he could have given the Mahesvara his powers.

 _Track._

Follow him. Learn his secrets. Find out his true identity. Find his friends, his allies. Those who have his confidence. Well, she already knew two of them. _Saegusa Mayumi...Shiba Miyuki..._ she thought. _How can I get them to open up? I'm in their council, but Tatsuya still hasn't done anything. All Masaki does is spend time with Miyuki. I haven't seen Jumonji speak a word about the Yotsuba since that night, but it's probably because I'm normally at Third High._

 _Terminate._

Kill any and every magician and civillian who is a threat to the USNA because of their abilities or because of their knowledge. Take no hostages. Leave no witnesses. _Wash, rinse, repeat._

 _Target, track, terminate._

 _Target, track, terminate._

 _Target, track..._

Lina took a big sigh as she looked over at Masaki, who was gazing dreamily out the window of their shared car. He was no doubt thinking of his beloved fiancee. They were both confidants of Shiba Tatsuya, meaning that Lina would have to...

 _...terminate._

* * *

 **~Shiba House~**

Miyuki had caught up to Mayumi and Tatsuya as they were walking to his house to conduct research for the Thesis Competition, and they had enjoyed a friendly conversation about whether or not Erika and Leo would make a good couple along the way. Well, Mayumi and Miyuki enjoyed it. Tatsuya simply listened, and only commented on how they were practically opposites in terms of character: Erika being loud and disrespectful, Leo being composed and reverent. Their conversation ended abruptly, however, when they noticed a car parked outside Tatsuya's house.

"Tatsuya, you never told me you have a car..." Mayumi said suspiciously.

"I don't," he replied, before using Elemental Sight to see who was awaiting them. When he saw who it was, he sighed. "Let's go."

A pair of shoes were inside the door, further arousing Mayumi's suspicion. Miyuki was surprised too, though she had already guessed who the shoes belonged to.

"Welcome home," the lady said as Tatsuya and Miyuki entered the living room with Mayumi in tow. "I see you too are more comfortable around each other than you used to be. And who's this?"

"It's been a while since you've come back here, Ms. Sayuri," Tatsuya stated coldly. "Oh, and this is Saegusa Mayumi, daughter of Saegusa Kouichi. Mayumi, this is my father's second wife, the one he married six months after my mother's death."

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Sayuri," Mayumi said courteously, though her fiery eyes were saying something completely different.

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Saegusa," Sayuri said, "though it's also quite surprising. I didn't take Tatsuya for the type to bring girls home." Mayumi was visible offended by the insult.

"Ms. Sayuri, I suggest you say whatever it is you have to say," Tatsuya said. "And quickly, before I get angry."

"Fine, but...can we go somewhere private?"

"Everything you can say to me, you can say to Mayumi and Miyuki as well," Tatsuya replied. "And I mean everything."

"Very...well," Sayuri said cautiously, eyes widening. "I want you to help out again at the head office, in the research lab. And drop out of high school, if possible."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. I am under strict orders to stay at First High."

"Well, the company can't really afford to keep a talented staff member like you on the bench." Sayuri was acting like Miyuki and Mayumi weren't even there.

"I don't think I've been idling on the bench," Tatsuya said. "Just the other day, you received a significant order for Flying Devices from the USNA navy, didn't you? That alone should equal twenty percent of your profits from last quarter."

"Then could you at least come to the head office and help analyze this sample?" Sayuri reached down and picked up a briefcase, setting it on a table for Tatsuya to observe. She opened the briefcase, revealing a small totem shaped like one-half of the Chinese Yin/Yang symbol. It was made out of some sort of crystalline substance, and seemed to have pinpricks of starlight eminating from within.

"Is that what I think it is?" Mayumi said with wide eyes. "I'd heard of Relics...but to see one for real...the Nino Magatama...what do you want from Tatsuya with it?"

"More importantly, where was this excavated?" Tatsuya asked. Sayuri refused to answer, which, in its own way, answered Tatsuya's question for him. "I see...so the Self-Defense Force is involved? You said analyze, but don't tell me that you've taken on the task of replicating this Relic of the Nino Magatama, have you?"

Sayuri stuttered.

"Why would you be so reckless?" Tatsuya continued, empowered by Sayuri's tell. "Among out-of-place artifacts, they're difficult to synthesize through modern technology...that's why they're called Relics."

"We received this job at the strong behest of the SDF," Sayuri said, regaining her composure. "We can't possibly refuse."

"But even the SDF should know that it's virtually impossible to synthesize Relics," Tatsuya stated. "Why would they make such a ridiculous request?"

"I'm told that the Nino Magatama has the ability to store Magic Sequences," Sayuri said to the shock of everyone present. "And, to answer your question, Ms. Saegusa, that's partly what we need Tatsuya for. I'm convinced that our scientists can replicate it without his help - in fact, I'm determined to do so - but, when we conducted our initial analysis, we found something...intriguing."

"What?" everyone asked in unison.

"A magic sequence, currently stored within the Relic."

"Why is that intriguing?" Miyuki asked. "Didn't you just say that it has that ability?"

"Well, it's not really that special for a container to have something in it," Sayuri admitted. "If anything, it was little more than a curiosity. Something to be catalogged and forgotten."

"What changed things?" Mayumi asked.

"Well...the thing is, we can't tell what the spell does. We hooked the relic up to our CAD-programming computers and tried to adapt them to read it, but they crashed. Our technicians are still trying to figure out why."

"There are other ways to find out what a spell does," Tatsuya commented dryly. "Did you try casting it?"

"We did indeed," Sayuri responded, glaring at Tatsuya. "That was the second thing we tried. But there were no discernable effects for the spell. We don't even know if it was properly executed to begin with."

"I see...that is interesting," Tatsuya said. "I'm guessing you want me to figure out what it is?"

"Yes. Can you take a look at it now?"

"As soon as you told me there was a spell inside, I started reading its data," Tatsuya said. "I'm still not done."

"What?!" Sayuri exclaimed. "It usually takes you about one-tenth of a second to analyze a spell. It's been about a minute already!"

"And I have read enough data to consist of thousands of spells, Ms. Sayuri," Tatsuya said, "but there's more. I think - wait - I know this spell..."

"What?" Mayumi said, surprised. "How can you know a spell that long?"

"Because - wait - yes, yes - this spell, I know why it didn't work when you cast it. One, you would have needed an immense amount of psions."

"We had that available," Sayuri replied coldly.

"You also didn't have the right target," Tatsuya said. "I'm barely a tenth of the way through, by what I calculate, but I already know what the target of this spell is supposed to be."

"How do you know?!" Mayumi exclaimed. "Please, Tatsuya, just tell us already!"

"I know because I was born with this magic," he said.

"Wait..." Mayumi muttered.

"Does that mean..." Miyuki began.

"It can't be..." Sayuri stated.

"Yes, it is," Tatsuya said. "This spell is Regrowth."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"I've tracked Sayuri to the house of her stepchildren, sir. She brought the relic with her."

"One of her stepchildren is Shiba Tatsuya. If you have the chance, kill him."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

 **~Back in the Shiba House~**

"It can't be!" cried Sayuri. "You're lying! Regrowth is your unique magic, meaning no one else can use it! So why on earth would a thousand-year-old sample have evidence of your magic in it?"

"Well, it's not exactly Regrowth as you know it," explained Tatsuya. "Regrowth is isolated...a single case of changing the Idea Dimension. This...this is more like wiping the slate clean and beginning again."

"What?" Mayumi said, taken aback. "You mean it's like a self-destruct button for the Idea Dimension?"

"Only in the sense that it changes the current landscape of the Idea Dimension," Tatsuya said. "It doesn't destroy it, though, it changes it into something different. Overwrites it, in the same way that Regrowth overwrites the target Eidos. And, since what changes in the Idea Dimension changes in our world as well, it's more like a reset button for the Earth."

"What do you mean, Tatsuya?" Miyuki asked, scared of what the answer might be.

"The reason it's taking me so long to read this spell, and the reason it overloaded the computers at FLT, is that this Relic contains all of the data of the Earth and its inhabitants from a specific point in time - a reset point, if you will. Triggering this spell, which targets the entire world, will essentially 'revert' time back to when the 'save point' was created, even though time itself hasn't really changed."

Everyone was, understandably, quiet for a minute.

"Time travel," Sayuri said with a sigh. "We've discovered time travel."

"Not at all, Ms. Sayuri," Tatsuya said. "We don't travel through time at all. It's more like everything in the world - including us - changes to whatever is written in this Relic. Nobody travels, and you can't go back to when you used to be. It's irreversable."

"Irreversable..." Mayumi muttered. "Hey, Tatsuya, you mentioned something about making one of these yourselves?"

"Well, yes," he admitted. "I gathered the data I needed to use Rewind - that's what I call it - about a month ago, though I have no idea how to cast it."

"What do you mean? You can cast Regrowth just fine."

"Well, yes, and parts of the spell would indeed work. But some things, like changing people or clothes or cars, in order to adapt to the new time frame - that's impossible with Regrowth, because it's not in the Eidos changelog."

"Well, then, what were you planning to do with it?"

"I wanted a save point, just in case everything went bad, that we could reset to in order to have another chance."

"Wait...what was the date that you made the reset point?"

"August 12th," Tatsuya replied, noting the astonished look on Mayumi's face, but choosing not to ask her about it due to their current company.

"Whatever you two are talking about, I don't care," Sayuri said, interrupting Tatsuya and Mayumi's side conversation. "We've just discovered something that our enemies can never get their hands on. As far as this meeting goes - don't tell anyone about what you know. That goes for all three of you. I'm heading out now." She got up, grabbed the briefcase, and quickly departed.

"Mayumi, I think we should follow her," Tatsuya said. "Miyuki, I want you to lock up tight and wait for us here."

"Onii-sama?"

"Yeah, Tatsuya, what's with the suddenly serious attitude?" Mayumi asked.

"We're going to look out for a woman who lacks risk management skills."

* * *

 **~A Little While Later~**

Tatsuya and Mayumi were on his motorcycle, speeding down Tokyo roads in pursuit of Sayuri's car. Tatsuya was worried about the fate of the Relic, and while Mayumi tried to be, she was also happy to have her arms wrapped around her fiance. Her romantic mood was ruined, however, as they caught up to Sayuri: a large, black, ominous van had pulled up next to her, and proceeded to cut her off, throwing her car into a tailspin. Two men, dressed in black with black gas masks and black sunglasses, stepped out of the van with weapons drawn and approached Sayuri's car. As they checked to make sure that Sayuri was unconscious, they were illuminated by the headlamp of Tatsuya's motorcycle.

"Stay here," Tatsuya whispered to Mayumi before getting off and charging at the assailants, CAD raised. One of them used Cast Jamming, but Tatsuya destroyed his weapon anyway.

"Cast Jamming doesn't work?" the man exclaimed in broken English.

"I didn't expect this guy coming!" the other said.

Two more shots from Tatsuya's CAD and they both fell over in a fountain of blood. Tatsuya backed around Sayuri's car, and he had a moment of premonition before the bullet pierced his heart.

"Tatsuya!" Mayumi cried, rushing over to him. He had already recovered using Regrowth, and he motioned for Mayumi to take cover beside him. He watched as someone used magic to bring the two assailants' bodies into the van, then drive off. Using Elemental Sight, he then traced the trajectory of the bullet to a sniper on a high rise several hundred meters away. He stepped out from behind his cover, to Mayumi's dismay, and aimed his Silver Horn at the sky.

The sniper ejected the used cartridge and loaded another one into his rifle. He peered back into the scope to confirm that his primary target was dead, but was shocked to see the young man dressed entirely in black staring right back at him - even worse, with a raised CAD. He only had a second to process the information before he was vaporized in a cloud of blue flame.

 _I guess I should say that I lucked out,_ Tatsuya thought.

"Tatsuya!" Mayumi screamed. "Why did you risk your life to do that? You could have been killed!"

"I'm fine, Mayumi," he said, as Mayumi burst into tears and fell into his arms. "You don't have to worry so much about me. But perhaps it is time that I drove you home."

"You idiot..." she managed to say in between sobs. "It's my job to be worried about you. I'm your fiancee, after all."

Tatsuya smiled and brought her face up to his, pressing a tender kiss to her lips after subtly destroying several nearby security cameras with Decomposition.

"Come on, Mayumi, let's get you home."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Tatsuya didn't tell Mayumi about how his motivation for returning her home was so that he could have a private video chat conversation with Major Kazama about the incident.

"That's the situation, sir," Tatsuya said.

"Don't worry about the street cameras," Major Kazama replied. "We're already taking care of the footage and replacing the units."

"Thank you very much, Major," Tatsuya said with a salute.

"Still, he sure is a reckless one," Kazama continued as Miyuki listened by the door. "It may not have been the heart of the city, but to fire a rifle within the city limits..."

"I can't deny that I let my guard down, but his skills were terrifying," Tatsuya admitted.

"And he didn't use any magic, is that right?"

"There's no question in my mind."

"At night, with just an optical scope, successfully sniping from a thousand meters away?" Kazama mused. "Even globally, there's only a limited number of organizations that can get their hands on a sniper of that level. It might be easier than we think to pinpoint who the enemy is here."

"Does that mean you think it was the Yotsuba?"

"We can't rule out that possibility, Tatsuya," Kazama said with a sigh. "In which case, it's time for you to decide what you want to do. They've made the first move, so you can justifiably do whatever you want now. Especially with the Magic Association, Kudou, Ichijou, and Saegusa clans on your side."

"I'm actually not sure that it was the Yotsuba, Major," Tatsuya replied. "Of course, we can't rule them out, but the sniper was providing support for the would-be thieves - thieves who were stealing, unbeknownst, from the Yotsuba. Why would the Yotsuba risk such a public move as to steal their own superweapon?"

"Superweapon? I see what you mean, Tatsuya, but you never mentioned anything about the Yotsuba having another superweapon in your report."

"That's because I recovered it from the crash site, sir," Tatsuya replied. "You may be familiar with it - a relic of the Nino Magatama?"

"I'd heard a rumor that a branch of the SDF had found a relic in one of their dig sites and passed it on to FLT, but I personally didn't believe it. You're saying it does indeed exist, and that it's a superweapon?"

"It has the potential ability to reset time itself," Tatsuya stated bluntly. "And, with the right modifications, the Yotsuba could use it to establish themselves as a superpower with advanced technology in the ancient past."

"I'm just going to trust you on this one, Tatsuya," Major Kazama said with his head in his hands. "That's too much for me to think about. I'm glad that weapon is in your hands right now, not the Yotsuba's."

"They couldn't use it immediately, anyway," Tatsuya said reassuringly. "Right now, there's no way to cast the spell contained within that Relic nor modify it, so even if they were to steal it from me, all they could do is study it."

"I still don't feel safe with the idea of that thing in the possession of the Yotsuba," Kazama said. "Hang on for a second...report just came in. The car's been found. We'll talk again after we've investigated. Is that all right?"

"Sorry to trouble you, sir," Tatsuya said before he ended the call.

"If it was the Yotsuba," Miyuki said, entering the room, "whoever ordered that attack won't live to see the morning."

"Don't worry, Miyuki," Tatsuya said. "It probably wasn't the Yotsuba. If my okaa-sama had ordered that attack, as you wish she had, I would actually be dead right now. After all, we each have the same advantage against each other - the element of surprise."

"That's true," Miyuki acknowledged. "But why can't you just destroy this relic? Take one more Yotsuba weapon off the table?"

"It's too valuable, both as a research specimen and a potential weapon for our own cause," Tatsuya replied. "Say I find out what makes it work - I could then theoretically duplicate it endlessly and encode each one with an Applied Flying Spell, from which an infinite number of a magic sequence thermonuclear fusion reactors could be made to provide unlimited clean energy for Japan and the rest of the world."

"Thus achieving your goal of legitimizing magicians in the eyes of the public," Miyuki said, finishing Tatsuya's thought. "But you mentioned using it as a weapon?"

"Yes, well, the SDF would undoubtedly request that I create an arsenal of Baryon Lance rifles for their non-magical soldiers, and the higher-ups might even request a version of Rewind as a fallback plan. The use of the relic duplicates could easily spiral out of control."

"No way..."

"As you have said, I personally have no interest in using these Relics as weapons," Tatsuya continued. "But we are in a cold war against the most powerful of the Ten Master Clans, so arming the 101-IMEB with relic weapons might not be too detrimental."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Tell me what's going on."

"We've successfully infiltrated the Yokohama Magic Association using our source's connections. We'll be carrying on with our task."

"We've succeeded in securing an on-site collaborator. We'll be taking action soon."

"As for the attempt to steal the Relic...looks like it failed. The Mahesvara intervened."

"Was our agent able to eliminate that piece from the board?"

"The sniper hasn't reported in, and the Self-Defense Force was seen cleaning up the mess. It's likely that he was killed by Shiba Tatsuya."

"We'll take him out some other time. Were you able to confirm the Relic's ability to store Magic Sequences?"

"No, that's not something we can determine without the actual object."

"If it really is capable of storing Magic Sequences, and we find a way to get our hands on it, the Great Asian Alliance's magic combat power will skyrocket... Make sure you get that Relic, no matter what!"


	20. Yokohama Disturbance Part 2

**[Episode 20: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 2]**

Mayumi was pondering the implications of what she had heard Tatsuya say as she walked the halls of the First High Library. _He said August 12th, which was the same day that the disappearances happened_ , she said to herself. _But when I talked to Hayama, he said that the stars jumped forward a day in time, not backward. If we had time-jumped back to August 12th, wouldn't the stars have gone backward as well? Who could have cast the spell? What actually caused those disappearances?_ Mayumi was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she bumped into Tatsuya as he left one of the private research rooms.

"Oh, it's you, Tatsuya! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Perhaps you can make it up to me over dinner?" Tatsuya replied with a rare smile.

"I'd love to, I really would," she said apologetically, "but I'm afraid I already have plans with my father." She paused to give an expression of mock sadness. "Is there any other way to make it up to you?"

"Well, I could bore you with the research that I've been doing," Tatsuya suggested. _Though that's more like a reward, considering you're always asking me about it,_ he thought.

"Yes, that sounds like a good plan," Mayumi eagerly agreed. "But we'd be a nuisance to other people if we stood here chatting, so shall we go inside?"

"After you, my lady," Tatsuya replied, opening the door for Mayumi.

Once the door had closed, Mayumi planted a tender kiss on Tatsuya's lips.

"There, does that make up for my clumsiness?"

"Uh, Mayumi..." Tatsuya began, "there's security cameras in here. And when I said I'd bore you with my research, that wasn't a metaphor for anything else."

"Oh!" Mayumi exclaimed, embarrassed. "Can you fix that, in any way?"

"Well, since the footage is stored in the camera for a couple minutes, I guess I can erase it with Regrowth."

"Well, then may I finish what I started?"

"Don't push your luck, Mayumi."

"Fine," she said, pretending to pout. "Then you'd better have something good for me to hear. Preferably something top secret, as well."

"How is it that I suddenly became the one who's trying to repay you?"

"Never mind that, just tell me whatever it is you wanted to say!"

"Fine," Tatsuya said, imitating Mayumi to her faux annoyment. "A few weeks ago, I was researching how to cast Rewind by seeing how many groups of data I can effect. Theoretically, it's endless."

"What do you mean by groups of data?"

"Well, the Idea Dimension is like a giant database," he said. "In order to effectively manage it, it's divided into hundreds of billions of categories, almost like a drop-down menu. How can I describe it?" He thought for a second. "It's like biology, how our bodies are composed of organs, which are composed of cells, which are composed of molecules, which are composed of atoms. Those actually are some of the categories in the Idea Dimension, in fact."

"Like, you can select either an organ or the cells in the organ?"

"Exactly!" Tatsuya replied excitedly. "So for the Idea Dimension, it looks something like this: the entire Universe, then every celestial body in the Universe, then all the components of those celestial bodies, then the components of those components, et cetera, until you reach the subatomic level - when there is literally nothing left to break down."

"I get it," Mayumi said. "Like tiers in a flowchart, almost."

"Indeed. So I was seeing how many of those different tiers I can affect with Regrowth, in order to see if I could actually cast Rewind. So I was 'zooming out,' in a sense, to try to look at the entire universe. And then I noticed something in the Idea Dimension."

"What did you see?"

"When I viewed the entire universe as a whole through the Idea Dimension, the only other additional information was a single date. Less than a thousand years ago, to be precise. In the middle of the Dark Ages of Europe."

"Why would that date be attached to the universe?"

"My question exactly. At first I thought it could have been the date of the creation of the universe, but that's simply preposterous. Unless you subscribe to the Last Thursday theory, but that's simply a joke. My second thought was that it could be the date of the creation of the Idea Dimension."

"Which is what prompted you to ask me about when magic was born. I see what you're getting at now. You're thinking that some human person actually created magic."

"The possibility does look high."

"Mari told me that you were looking for the Staff of Merlin...do you think that he's somehow involved?"

"I'm not sure, but he appeared shortly after the mysterious date and apparently possessed magical powers not unlike those of Modern Magic."

"But isn't Modern Magic is only available through the use of CADs?" Mayumi wondered.

"It is," said Tatsuya, eyes sparkling with information, "and that's where the story gets really interesting."

"Well, the whole bit about the birth of magic wasn't exactly boring, you know."

"What if I told you that Merlin may have actually had a CAD?"

"I'd say that either you're crazy, or that Merlin was someone from our time who used that Rewind spell to reset the timeline and keep his CAD. But then he wouldn't be the creator of magic, would he?" she mused.

"If _he_ was really a 'he' at all," replied Tatsuya.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Have you heard the story about the Chinese woman who gave a lizard wings and turned it into a dragon?"

"No, not exactly."

"Long ago, during the Dark Ages, to be exact, there was a young woman of the Lin family who was ridiculed for claiming to have the power of transmutation. In response, she picked up a small salamander from a nearby stream, and turned it into a large dragon that ate the people who made fun of her. After that, she is said to have been exiled from her village on the part of fear from the villagers, so she roamed the earth practicing magic with the aid of a small pendant on the end of a lightweight metal staff."

"The part about the staff and her travelling the world could be interpreted as contributing to the legend of Merlin," Mayumi commented. "But other than that, I really don't see anything else of importance."

"Did I mention her name was Mei? In other words, her full name would have been Mei Lin."

"Or, as it would have been interpreted, Merlin," Mayumi said, finishing Tatsuya's thought. "I'll admit, that is a really interesting coincidence, but what does this have to do with Rewind?"

"Remember how I said she had the power of transmutation? Something that is also coincidentally applied to the myth of Merlin, as well," said Tatsuya. "Turning one object into another is one of the fundamental problems with Rewind. I can't do it, since it's not in the Eidos changelog. It's like a taboo, almost. Otherwise, I could do practically whatever I wanted. But I know someone who can. Two people, actually."

"What? Who?"

"Kokonoe Yakumo and Kudou Retsu, definitely. Kudou can use the spell Parade to alter the location and appearace data of his Eidos - the same spell Angelina Kudou Shields uses - and Kokonoe knows the Ancient Magic version of that spell, known as Matoi. I also have it on good authority that the Kokonoe clan were responsible for teaching the Kudou clan how to use Matoi, which the Kudou then adapted into Parade."

"How on earth do you know all of that?"

"I asked Kokonoe. He's very forthcoming with information, as long as his gifts are reciprocated."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot that you study under him. Did you ask him where the Kokonoe learned to use Matoi?"

"He said they developed it under the tutelage of a great magician, but he wouldn't be more specific than that," Tatsuya lamented. "Of course, I assume the magician to be Mei Lin, aka Merlin, but that's just a guess."

"And you researched a lot of this today?"

"Well, no, I've been researching it for the past couple weeks," Tatsuya replied. "I came here today to see if I could find any pictures of Mei Lin to corraborate my hypothesis, or to shed any new light on her identity at all, but to no avail."

"You didn't find anything?"

"Nothing significant, just the name of a priest in the Kanto region who might have an old wood carving of Mei Lin."

"Oh? Really?" Mayumi was suddenly very interested - well, even more interested than she had already been. This was the second time that a mysterious priest in Kanto who seemed to have all the answers. "Are you going to go check it out?"

"Maybe later, after my preparation for the Thesis Competition is complete. I still have to fine-tune all the spells that we are going to use, and I'd like to get that done before working on any more personal projects."

"Yes, please do!" Mayumi said with a smile. "As First High's former Student Council Chairwoman, I request that we win the Thesis Competition this year. Please, do your best, Tatsuya!"

Tatsuya laughed at her over-the-top request, though he suspected that she had ulterior motives. He decided to not question her at all, and instead leaned over and placed his arm around her shoulders.

"It's all going to be okay in the end, Mayumi," he said reassuringly.

"But what about the security cameras?"

"Yes, those too," he said with a sigh. "I'll take care of them in a minute, so...do whatever you want to do."

Mayumi smiled and looked at him mischievously.

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Alerts started going off. Command prompt windows appeared on his computer. Tatsuya began typing furiously, racing to stop the hackers and trace the attack to its source. But just as it appeared that he was victorious, the hackers cut off their signal, thwarting Tatsuya's efforts at finding their identity. He didn't know whether it was the would-be assassins or people who were interested in the Thesis Competition who had tried to hack him, but he decided to warn Isori Kei just to be safe.

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

"So did you sustain any loss of data?" Kei asked, concerned.

"Everything's fine," Tatsuya replied. "Never mind me, was everything all right at your house, Isori?"

"Could the hackers have been after...?"

"A look at the hackers' commands tells me that they were going after documents pertaining to Magic Theory," Tatsuya stated. "Considering the timing, we can't rule out the possibility that it's related to the competition."

"I can't think of anyone who'd do this...don't you think we should let Ms. Ichihara know about this?"

"Yes, you're right."

The door opened and Kanon came bursting into the room.

"Thanks for waiting!" she said with enthusiasm, before embracing and fawning over Kei.

"Long time no see, Tatsuya," Mari said sarcastically.

"Yes, it's been so, so long," he replied, trying not to look apprehensive in the face of Kanon's behavior. _Is Mayumi going to become like that?_ he wondered. "So, what brings you here today?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to talk to you about security during the competition."

"Security? Is the Disciplinary Committee going to provide that?"

"Well, I'm not talking about security for the venue," Mari replied. "The Magic Association will be hiring professionals for that. What I want to discuss is personal bodyguards for each team member, and people to guard the presentation materials and equipment. You'll be using valuable materials at the Thesis Competition, after all. For that reason, the teams for this contest are sometimes targeted by industrial spies."

"Such as hacking into household servers, for example?" Tatsuya suggested.

"No, I've never heard of anyone going that far. What we should be wary of is robbery and snatch-and-grabs. Needless to say, our school provides security every year. The members of the security squad are chosen from the Disciplinary Committee and the Extracurricular Activities Federation, but as far as who specifically guards whom, we'll respect your wishes."

"I'll be the one to protect you, Kei!" Kanon exclaimed.

"I'm assigning Hattori and Kirihara as Ichihara's bodyguards," Mari continued. "The question is, what to do about you..."

"No bodyguard necessary."

"Well, I guess not," Mari admitted.

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Kanon was out shopping, and since Kei was her fiance, he accompanied her. But since no man is eager to go shopping, he decided to drag Tatsuya into his torture as well. It was as Tatsuya was leaving what seemed like the fiftieth store that he noticed it. A figure - clearly a First High student - observing the group from behind a tree. As Tatsuya watched the student intently, Kanon and Kei emerged from the store as well.

"Thanks for waiting," Kei said before noticing Tatsuya's serious expression. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing..." he said nonchalantly. "It just seems like we're being watched, so I was deciding what to do..."

"Watched? By spies?" Kanon asked loudly, eager to protect Kei but unaware that she alerted the spy to their presence. The spy, a short girl with brown hair, darted away from the tree and ran. "Come back here!" Kanon shouted, chasing after her. The girl, however, had come well-prepared: she dropped a flashbang grenade on the ground behind her, which stunned Kanon for a few seconds, giving the spy time to get onto a moped. Kanon began activating a spell while shielding her eyes, but was stopped.

"Kanon, it's no good!" Kei shouted as Tatsuya cast Gram Demolition to cancel the spell.

"Shiba, what are you going to do?" Kanon yelled, angry at Tatsuya for stopping her attack. Meanwhile, the spy was revving the moped, preparing to escape. The moped wouldn't budge, however; Isori Kei had cast a spell underneath the front tire, preventing the moped from making any sort of movement at all. The girl saw this, but she wasn't fazed. She flipped up a cover on the left handlebar and flipped the switch underneath. Then the moped exploded, killing the girl instantly and sending out a shockwave that knocked everyone to the ground and shattered all the nearby windows.

"What did you do, Shiba?" Isori cried, horrorstruck at the scene before him, before crawling over to Kanon. "Are you okay, Kanon?"

"I'm fine, Kei," she replied harshly, "but you wouldn't have to worry about that if this idiot hadn't blown up the suspect!"

"That wasn't me," replied Tatsuya, who was already back on his feet. "The only spell I cast was the one preventing you from doing something stupid. Perhaps it was an internal device?"

"Tatsuya's telling the truth, Kanon," Kei said. I was the one who cast a spell on that moped; if anyone's to blame, it's me."

Kanon sighed and looked over at Tatsuya.

"I'm sorry, Tatsuya, I don't know what I was thinking," she said. "I just got caught up in the moment. And Kei, of course you're not responsible for this. I think it probably was something internal, like what Tatsuya said."

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Kei. "So, what do we do now?"

"I've got friends in high places," Tatsuya said. "We can keep this quiet if that's what the school wants..." He was interrupted by the sound of a siren growing steadily louder. "Or not, I guess," he muttered.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Can we at all be linked to this?"

"It was Mr. Hayama who rounded up these members, so no matter what happens, I don't think we'll be discovered."

"Good. Have you doctored the footage as I asked?"

"Yes - here." A video clip played on the main monitor: Kanon saying _Shiba, what are you going to do?_ Tatsuya activating a spell. The moped exploding. Isori saying _What did you do, Shiba?_ Nothing else.

"Excellent. And I take it that we've replaced all the security footage appropriately?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. This might turn the public against the Mahesvara, even if they don't know who he is. Now, what's going on with that Relic?"

"There's no sign that it was removed from the Four Leaves Technology premises, but its current location is unknown. Shiba Sayuri probably didn't want anyone to know that she took it, and is covering her tracks now that it's missing."

"Don't skip on surveillance over her, and while you're at it, add First High School to our list of targets. If need be, you can reallocate staff from other missions."

"Yes, sir."

"And be sure to control the narrative on that girl. Shiba Tatsuya is to blame, no matter what any investigation proves. Write off the results as the product of magic or something."

"Yes, sir."

"Captain Lu?"

"Yes, sir."

"You take charge on-site. If you come across anyone else sniffing around, get rid of them."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

"Tatsuya! You're home!" Miyuki cried, running to her brother. "I was so worried for you!"

"What could I have possibly done to make you worry?"

"Well, they've been showing your picture on the TV..."

"Wait, what's going on?"

Tatsuya watched the broadcast for a minute.

"...oh."

* * *

 **~October 19th, 2095~**

"Hey, Tatsuya, you're early today," Erika commented. "I actually didn't expect you to come at all, what with all the protestors outside and everything."

"Well, I'm here," he replied curtly, before noticing that Mizuki obviously wasn't feeling good. "What were you talking about before I came in?"

"She says she can sense someone's gaze," Erika replied, going over and putting her hand on Mizuki's shoulder in comfort.

"Gaze?" Tatsuya inquired, eager to take his mind off...the other thing.

"Since this morning, I can sense this unpleasant gaze," Mizuki replied. "Like someone secretly peering into the cracks from the shadows...it's a creepy kind of gaze..." Apparently Mizuki had no qualms about using only a single word to describe this mysterious gaze which she felt.

"Like a stalker?" Tatsuya pressed.

"It's not after me," said Mizuki. "It's more like something that's ready to cast a wide net..."

"So it's not targeting a single student, but multiple students and/or instructors, or maybe something at the school, then?"

"Y-Yes..." Mizuki stammered. "I could be wrong about this, of course..." Miki, ever the gallant hero, came to her defense.

"No, I don't think you're wrong, Ms. Shibata," he said. "Ever since this morning, the spirits have been in an unnatural frenzy on campus. I'll bet that someone's evoked a shiki."

"Shiki?" Leo asked. "Are you talking about those shikigami called Spiritual Beings?"

"It seems to be a different spell than we use, so I can't get a grasp on it, but there's no question that some spell-caster somewhere is sniffing around."

"Mikihiko," Tatsuya said as he sat up, alert. "Did you just say it was a different spell than ours?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Meaning that it's a non-Shinto spell?" Tatsuya asked. "Or do you mean a spell that's different from this country's Ancient Magic?" Aware of the gravity of the question, Mikihiko took his time before answering.

"I don't think it's part of our country's Ancient Magic," he concluded.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Hayama, do you remember that museum in Dahan? The one with that incomplete relic?"

"Yes, my lady."

"I need you to retrieve that relic for me. Quickly and quietly, please."

"Yes, my lady. What do you want to do about the other situation?"

"What situation? Tatsuya being falsely accused by the media of blowing up some First High student? I think Tatsuya has that under control."

"Very good, my lady, but I was referring to how Saegusa Mayumi may be on to our associates."

"Don't lay a finger on Ms. Saegusa, Hayama. That's an order."

"Very well, my lady.

"Oh, and Hayama?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Enact Phase Two of the plan."

"Yes, my lady. We'll have the method to this madness within a day."

"Very good, Hayama. And bring the car around. I have some errands to run."

"Yes, my lady."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Mayumi couldn't turn away from the television, even though it was carrying what was possibly the worst news of her life.

"Mr. Shiba Tatsuya, a first-year student at the Magic University Affiliated First High School and the star of this year's Nine Schools Competition, is suspected by police of having brutally murdered a fellow student, after security camera footage shows him using an unknown spell to create an explosion in the victim's vehicle. First High has refused to grant any interviews with Shiba, claiming that since the victim was a student at First High, the investigation will be held internally. Of course, since the victim was not exceptionally gifted with magic, her death has resonated with the general public. Crowds swarmed the road outside First High in protest of Shiba Tatsuya's continued freedom, the first public anti-magic demonstration in months. It's obvious that the people who welcomed Shiba as a hero after the Nine Schools Competition now feel a little differently..."

She had called Tatsuya that night. He had told her what had really happened, and that someone must have edited the video to make him look bad. She asked why he couldn't have used Regrowth to fix it, like with the cameras in the library. He replied that at the time, he was counting on the security cameras to tell the truth, and it was only when he saw his own face on television that he knew something was wrong. She cried, he consoled her. She got mad at him for not stopping the explosion, he apologized. She cried some more, he said nothing. There was nothing he really could say to change anything. And she knew on some instinctual level that the slander wouldn't really impact Tatsuya at all, but it was still awful to hear his name thrown around in such a way as to make it seem like a despicable slur.

On the other hand, there was no way that this was anything but an attack from the Yotsuba. Maybe it was finally time to go to war.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"We're not coming up with any witnesses to that illegal entry incident," Inagaki reported. "Do you want to keep on canvassing? Not that I think we'll find any witnesses if we walk any further."

"Sure, there are witnesses," Chiba Toshikazu replied, flashing Inagaki a smile. "They just won't talk to us."

"Inspector!" he cried. "Don't tell me..."

"Hey, hey, what a scary face!" Chiba laughed.

"You're the scary one, Inspector," Inagaki retorted. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do an illegal search," he replied. "You know how they say 'Snake paths lead to snakes?' That's why I thought we'd go visit that den of snakes."

They got in their patrol car, and Toshikazu drove them to the cafe Roter Wald (it means something in German, I think).

"Inspector..." Inagaki began, "I'm not saying it's wrong to take a little break now and then, but I thought we were going to see the den of snakes?"

"This _is_ the den of snakes," Chiba replied, getting out of the car. "The guy who runs this place is a know-it-all. A so-called information broker, you know?"

* * *

 **~Back at First High~**

"T-Tatsuya, are you done getting ready for the Thesis Competition?" Honoka asked nervously as the group was walking to their favorite cafe.

"I guess you could say we've reached a plateau," he replied, unsure of why Honoka sounded like she was scared of something. "We still have to rehearse, build the presentation models, calibrate the spells for the demos...all the little details."

"O-Of course," she said. "You wouldn't want the spells blowing up on you during the..." She realized her mistake. "Oh, Tatsuya, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to phrase it that way. Forgive me!"

"It's fine, Honoka," Tatsuya said reassuringly, the pieces having fit together in his mind. "I know you didn't mean it like that."

"You're lucky that Tatsuya's so forgiving!" Erika blurted out. "Otherwise that would have been a major faux pas!"

"I don't think we should be joking about it," Miyuki said quietly. "If someone sees us, it might hurt Tatsuya's portrayal in the media."

"Yeah, that'd be really bad," agreed Leo. "So, Erika, please do us all a favor and stop talking, please?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, ya big oaf!" Erika's attitude sure was as salty as ever. "You probably don't have the mental capacity to handle what I'm saying, and it's hurting your brain!"

"Why you little...!"

"Guys, we're here," Tatsuya said, breaking up the hostilities between Erika and Leo. And so the group entered Cafe Einebrise (which also means something in German).

"Oh, so you're taking part in the Magic Thesis Competition?" the barista asked as they took their seats. "They're hosting it in Yokohama this year, right? My parents live in Yokohama, you know. Are they holding it at the International Convention Center again? If they are, that's right by my parents' house."

"Where in Yokohama do they live?" asked Mizuki, taking the bait.

"About halfway up the Yamate Hills," the barista replied. "It's a cafe called Roter Wald."

* * *

 **~At Roter Wald~**

"Two blended coffees," Chiba ordered.

"Very well, sir," the elderly man answered. As he was making their drinks, Chiba looked over to see an extremely beautiful woman sipping a cup of tea. As he allowed himself to wistfully gaze in her direction, Inagaki cleared his throat - a sign that they had business to attend to. At that moment, however, the woman stood up at approached the pair.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I was wondering when you were gonna talk to me, but you don't seem to have the slightest inclination. Are you uncomfortable around women, scion of the Chiba clan?"

"Wh-Who are you?" the red-faced Chiba stuttered.

"Pleased to meet you, Inspector Chiba Toshikazu," she said. "My name is Fujibayashi Kyouko."

* * *

 **~Later That Afternoon~**

Mayumi needed something to take her mind off of the tragedy at hand, so she had spent the early afternoon canvassing the Kanto region to try to find the mysterious priest that Hayama had told her about. Her investigation had led to an old temple in the hills, but no priest. A sign on the door said "Gon' Fishin'", definitely a joke...but the priest didn't say when he'd be back, so Mayumi decided not to wait for him and instead return to the Saegusa mansion to plan her next move. It might be best to come back with Tatsuya, anyway. She turned around to leave, and jumped back when she realized there was a person standing right behind her. She could tell it was a woman; that was it, given that the stranger was wearing a long black cloak with a hood that left most of her face enshadowed.

"C-Can I help you?" Mayumi stammered anxiously.

"I believe you can, Ms. Saegusa," the figure replied with a silky-smooth voice. "You see, I have a vested interest in you and your relationship with that little murderer you call a fiance."

"How DARE you speak about him like that?!" Mayumi was no longer anxious; she was outraged.

"You see," the mysterious woman continued, "I may or may not have a son, one whom I may or may not wish to be married into the Saegusa clan. Now, I know why you've come here. You want answers about the disappearances. I have answers. Specifically, I have a Relic that you might want."

"You think you can bribe me into marrying your son? Think again!"

"It's not a bribe, sweetie. Either way, whether you accept my gift or not, I will get what I want. But you should take whatever gifts you can get, right? Especially ones which people went through so much trouble to get for you..."

"You will NEVER get me to leave Tatsuya."

"You say that now, honey, but you will eventually marry my son. And when you do, you'll wish that you had taken my offer."

"No, I won't, and no, I won't."

"Your naivete is adorable, darling. When you realize the truth, come and find me. It was good to see you again, Ms. Saegusa. Ciao."

"Wait, do I know you?" The woman never answered Mayumi's question; she just turned and walked away. After she was out of sight, Mayumi came to her senses and chased after her: but the woman had vanished.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"By the way, what brings you to Yokohama, Ms. Fujibayashi?"

"Oh, I'm here on business," she replied. "What about you, Detective? What brings you here? A little break while you're still on-duty?"

"Uh... Actually..."

"Or some other investigation, maybe?" Kyouko stated, leaning in with the attitude of someone in the know. The two officers sighed in defeat. Kyouko leaned in even further and whispered in Chiba's ear: "To tell you the truth, I'd like to ask for your help with something..."

* * *

 **~Third High~**

Angelina Kudou Shields was an elite operative of STARS. She had been sent undercover to the land of her ancestors in order to eliminate a threat to the United States of North America. She was a Strategic-class magician who was a beacon of hope to USNA citizens, the leader of her country's special magical forces. Yet none of that prevented the tranquilizer dart from breaking her skin and putting her to sleep. The last thing she saw was a group of men, dressed entirely in black, approaching her and readying a stretcher.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere at Third High~**

Masaki was on a video call with Miyuki, having just heard the news about Tatsuya.

"He didn't do it, right? From when we fought, I never thought him careless or stupid enough to do something like that."

"He's not, and he didn't," Miyuki replied. "The moped blew up on its own, and someone edited the video to make him look bad."

"That's a direct attack against him, is it not? Do you think he's going to send the order to attack?"

"We shall see, my love. We shall see..."


	21. Yokohama Disturbance Part 3

**[Episode 21: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 3]**

"...If I agree, then we'll get ahold of another relic," Mayumi stated as she nervously paced across the floor of the Saegusa mansion. "We don't know exactly what this Relic does, but the lady seemed to think we would want it. And since she revealed that she knew almost everything about our operation, I think she was telling the truth." Mayumi turned and started walking the other way. "But, if I agree, I'll have to break off my engagement with Tatsuya, the man I love, and marry someone else. Someone who I don't know, and who likely wouldn't be a good fit for me." She turned again. "On the other hand, if I don't agree to her offer, my relationship with Tatsuya will continue. And I really, really want it to continue." She pivoted on her heel once again and started walking the other way. "But then we won't be in possession of the Relic, an object which would probably help us win. The rationalist in me says to accept; the romantic says to stay true to my feelings. What do I do? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"

"Want my advice?" Mayumi turned to see her father standing in the door to her room, leaning against the wall like he owned the place. Which he did.

"Oh! Oto-san! I didn't hear you come in! Uh...advice about what?"

"Don't try to hide the fact that you went on an investigation without my permission, Mayumi," Kouichi replied. "I thought we talked about this after the Blanche incident. It's dangerous. Especially for the ojou-sama of the Saegusa family."

"Yes, I know," Mayumi relented. "But I was bored. Plus, a large portion of the world's population disappeared in an afternoon. I wanted answers. But I was wrong. Please forgive me."

"Mayumi, when will you ever learn..." he said with a sigh. "If you're ever going to do that again, invite me along! That way, you'll be safe and we can both have some fun."

"Wait, you're not mad at me?"

"Oh, no, I was really mad when I found out. That was reckless and irresponsible of you. But you also conducted a quality investigation with excellent results, though they were a tad unexpected."

"Thanks, I guess?"

"You're welcome. Now, let me tell you a story about when I was your age."

He paused dramatically.

"It was a long time ago, in a different age. I was only thirteen years of age, and I was a pupil of Kudou Retsu. There were two other students of his, a pair of sisters: the elder, Miya, and the younger, Maya, of the Yotsuba family. I was immediately smitten with Maya...she was the most beautiful girl I had seen, and she had the personality to match. Bright, funny, and occasionally sadistic in that special way that only Ten Master Clans members find attractive, she was the girl of my dreams. Kudou-sensei, ever observant, noticed my attraction to her immediately and suggested an arranged wedding to our respective families. Both agreed, if only because the idea of possibly having a spy within each others' houses was appealing to both the Saegusa and Yotsuba."

"What about her?"

"She was coy at first, but after we were engaged she let me know that she was attracted to me, too. She was a lot more shy back then, less open."

"You're saying that the current head of the Yotsuba, the most reclusive of the Ten Master Clans, isn't shy anymore?" asked Mayumi.

"There's a difference between being shy and being guarded. People who are shy have a hard time opening up to others. People who guard themselves can talk for hours and hours and not reveal a single thing about themselves."

"Ah, I see. Please, continue!"

"Yes, well, our engagement was going great until the incident."

"That would be..."

"Yes, the Dahan trip. Maya was sent to Dahan as part of a cultural exchange program, and as her fiance I naturally accompanied her to provide protection. But...I failed," he said, sitting down and putting his head in his hands. Mayumi went over and sat next to him, comforting him during this rare display of emotion.

"We were attacked," he continued. "Me and my men fought well, but our attackers were more powerful and better prepared than us. That fight cost me my eye, but more importantly, it cost me my love. Maya was kidnapped and taken to a sadistic laboratory, where she was tortured and assaulted for days."

"The Kunlunfang Institute."

"Yes. When we finally got her back, she was nearly comatose from the trauma. Everyone she was afraid that she wouldn't recover."

"She obviously did, though."

"But she's not the same. Not the same at all," Kouichi mused. "When she spoke to me again - just days after her rescue - all of her previous affection for me was gone. The marriage was broken off, and, well, you know the rest of my story."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"As a lesson, my dearest daughter," he replied, taking her hands in his. "Fate gave me a chance to be with the woman I loved. That's rare for Ten Master Clan members, and I lost my chance because I didn't fight hard enough for it. Fate has been kind to me again, and granted my daughter the same chance that I once had. Do not throw away your shot. That's my advice to you, but remember, you're free to do as you wish in this matter. I won't force your hand in any direction," he said, regaining his composure. "And, by all means, don't do anything dangerous again."

"Of course, oto-san. Again, I'm sorry, and thank you for your advice," Mayumi said, getting up and walking to the door. She paused, and turned back to face her father. "Oto-san, have you ever wished that you could undo the past?"

"While I do wish things had turned out differently, I don't think I would," he replied. "Because now I have you, your sisters, and your brothers. There's no way I'd ever choose to abandon my family."

"Do you think you'd ever try to reconcile with Maya?"

"Whoa, now, Mayumi, don't get ahead of yourself," he said, standing up. "You seem to forget that Yotsuba Maya is the very person that your little breakfast club is fighting against. She was ultimately responsible for your near-death experience at the Nine Schools Competition. Besides, she's constantly sending me menacing messages, like she's trying to let me know that there's a target on my back and she has a rifle. I'm not unnerved, but still, I think there's little chance for reconciliation."

"Sir!" A butler rushed in. "Please forgive my interruption, but there's an urgent message for you. It's from the Kudou clan."

"Please, proceed," Kouichi said, furrowing his brow. "Mayumi, stay for this. It might concern you."

"Kudou Retsu sends word that his grand-niece, Angelica Kudou Shields, was abducted from National Magic University Affiliated Third High School yesterday afternoon. He requests your aid in recovering her."

"What?!" Mayumi exclaimed. "Lina was abducted from inside Japan? How is that possible?!"

"The message did not provide details, miss," the butler replied. "I did, however, confirm that both the Jumonji and Ichijou clans received appeals for help as well."

"Thank you. You may go now," Kouichi said before turning to Mayumi. "What do you think about this?"

"I think the recipients of the message can't be a coincidence," Mayumi replied. "Only the Saegusa, Jumonji, and Ichijou being trusted with this information by the Kudou...it's eerily reminiscent of Tatsuya's revolt against the Yotsuba."

"I agree," Kouichi said confidantly. "You've got good instincts. Let's look into this individually - safely, without doing anything rash - before deciding on a course of action."

"Yes, oto-san."

"Oh, and one more thing," he said, snapping his fingers. "Don't go to Hayama on this. I don't fully trust him, and he could be working for our enemies. If we want to feed him information, we'll do that on our own time."

"Yes, oto-san."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"He's...he's...what?"

"You heard me. And not only that, but he's responsible for what happened to your sister."

"No, he's...he can't be..."

"You know in your heart that I am right, Ms. Hirakawa."

"I...I can't take it! Knowing that murderer is going to get away unpunished!"

"Is this too much? Perhaps you should go lie down, think about ways you can get him to pay for his crimes."

"Yes...I will...thank you..."

After she had left, an elderly man stepped from the shadows.

"Was all of that really necessary, Mr. Xiangshan?"

"Of course, Mr. Hayama. We want this girl to be a valuable asset to our forces here. We don't want her dying on us, like the last one."

"I thought the other girl's death was the point."

"Come now, Mr. Hayama. Surely you know that every case must be handled differently? Come, let us go and eat, and then we can discuss my methods."

"Very well, Mr. Xiangshan."

* * *

 **~October 20th, 2095~**

Tatsuya, Ichihara, and Kei were working on the thesis project in the quad of First High School as a way to boost the morale of the student body after the tragic loss of a fellow student. There had been a memorial service, of course, at which Tatsuya had sworn before the entire audience that no spell of his was to blame for the explosion. It seemed that maybe half of the crowd believed him. But, even though a student had died, the Thesis Competition itself had not been postponed, meaning that they didn't have any time to waste in terms of preparation. Other students were helping, of course...the second-years, for example, were building a platform on which the presentation could neatly rest. All work paused for a moment, however, as Ichihara did the first test of their demonstration. She held up her hand, blue light emanating from her palm; as she did so, a bright light appeared in a large glass sphere, from which lightning arced outwards in blinding flashes. Tatsuya sat at a computer, making rapid keystrokes before nodding to Isori. Kei then raised a hand of his own, and the light disappeared into nothingness to the applause of the crowd.

"The room temperature plasma device operated without a hitch," Kei reported. "Meaning that Phase 1 was successful."

Among the members of the crowd were Kirihara and Mibu, who had been given the responsibility of guarding the project and its creators. As the audience began to disperse, Mibu caught a glimpse of a short, brown-haired Course 2 student typing furiously on a handheld device that was definitely not a smartphone.

"That girl!" she said to herself before darting away in the direction of the mysterious agent.

"Hey! Mibu!" Kirihara shouted, before following her. This made the girl look up and notice the two kendo masters running toward her, so she turned and ran away, clutching the device to her chest. Mibu ran right past Erika, Leo, and Mikihiko, to their surprise and confusion.

"Saya?" Erika said, looking over at Leo to see if they should follow. He nodded, and they took off as well.

The chase went on for longer than anyone would have liked; the girl was faster than she looked, and fled down the forest path behind First High. Her stamina didn't compare to Sayaka's, however, who was quickly catching up with her.

"Come back here!" Sayaka shouted. Realizing that she couldn't outrun Mibu, the girl eventually slowed down and stopped.

"What do you want?"

"You're a first year, right? I'm Mibu Sayaka of Class 2-D. A Course 2 student like you." This established some credibility for Sayaka.

"I'm Hirakawa Chiaki of Class 1-G," she admitted, partially turning to face Mibu. It was at this point that Kirihara, Erika, and Leo caught up with the pair.

"Hirakawa?" Kirihara mused out loud.

"Ms. Hirakawa, that's a wireless password breaker, isn't it?" Sayaka asked, getting straight to the point. The girl quickly tried to shove it into a pocket (despite the female First High uniforms not having any), but she was too late. "Hiding it won't do any good," Sayaka said forcefully. "Because I once worked for spies myself." This surprised Chiaki enough to make her turn around even more. "So let me give you a word of advice," Mibu continued. "I don't know who they are, but cut ties with them immediately."

"It has nothing to do with you," Chiaki said, turning back away from Sayaka.

"I can't just stand by and do nothing!" Sayaka burst out. "Those people will only use you and then discard you!"

"But of course they will!" Chiaki retorted, turning completely to face Sayaka head-on with a sly grin. "It's not like I teamed up with them because I wanted something."

Mibu recognized that Chiaki had already passed the point of no return, and could not be convinced to abandon her pursuits.

"Kirihara..."

"Yeah."

In perfect synchronization, the couple began walking menacingly toward Chiaki, intending to subdue and arrest her. Chiaki reacted by reaching back into her mysterious pockets and throwing a flashbang grenade like the one that the dead girl had used; the first part of that day's events had not been broadcast publicly, so Chiaki did not see the dangerous similarities between her and that poor victim. As soon as the grenade's light had died out, Chiaki shot a dart from a wrist-mounted launcher straight at Sayaka, who would have been hit if Erika had not intervened. With one skilled swing of her nightstick, Erika deflected the dart away from Sayaka - but the dart burst upon hitting the ground, releasing a cloud of purple gas that made Kirihara cough uncontrollably.

 _Tear gas?_ Erika wondered. She stared right at Chiaki, who still had her hand raised with another dart clearly visible and at the ready. Then, all of a sudden, Leo rushed in with a fearsome battle cry and tackled the surprised Chiaki to the ground before she could react. Leo was ready to beat her into submission, except it appeared that Chiaki had already been knocked out by the tackle.

"Was that overkill?" he asked the crowd, who were just standing there, stunned that the encounter was over so quickly.

"I'd say so," Erika said cynically. "Never mind that...you look like you're assaulting that girl." This made Leo, who had been kneeling over her, wheel around to face Erika angrily.

"That's not what this is!" he shouted, afraid of the ramifications of his actions.

"Yeah, yeah, we got that," Erika said dismissively. Desperate for an ally, Leo turned back to the girl.

"Hey, are you okay?" He tried waving his hand in front of her face, but she didn't wake up. "Hey...! Hey...!"

It was decided, wisely, that they should take the unconscious Chiaki to the nurse's office. When they got there, Kanon was waiting for them.

"I was wondering where you'd run off to, abandoning Ms. Ichihara's protective detail..." Kanon lamented after Chiaki had been placed in a bed. "You guys really went overboard here." Sayaka and Kirihara looked away in shame. "So, Dr. Asuka, what's her condition?"

"No need to worry," Asuka replied. "She'll wake up eventually on her own."

"Then, sorry for the inconvenience," Kanon began, obviously about to ask something of the young doctor, "but could you text me when she's awake? Since I've got to go back to guard duty."

"No problem," replied Asuka as Kanon bowed and started heading for the door. "Oh, but no complaining if she escapes, all right? Because I have zero combat skills."

Kanon paused and turned back to the doctor with a smirk on her face.

"But you'd never let one of your wounded escape."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Mayumi needed time to think, and this time, she made sure she was alone. _I could trick her,_ reasoned Mayumi, _say that I'll marry her son in order to get the Relic but then return to Tatsuya. No, that'd be breaking my word. Besides, if Tatsuya ever found out, how would he react? Would he be angry? I don't want Tatsuya to be angry at me. I want him to marry me,_ she thought, pouting to herself about how she couldn't publicly reveal her engagement. _Or I could just kill her. She's just some ambitious woman who wants to use her son as a foothold into the Ten Master Clans. She needs to be taught a lesson!_ Mayumi furrowed her brow in anger. _Who does she think she is, anyway? Ordering me around like I'm already her daughter-in-law. I should just go back there right now and show her why the Saegusa family leads the Ten Master Clans!_ She got up and walked to the door before pausing. _But...Tatsuya...what would he think of me doing such a thing? From his perspective, I would just be randomly assaulting an innocent lady. There's no one to corroborate my story. He'd never look at me the same again,_ Mayumi thought to herself with sadness. _Well, it wouldn't hurt to go back and see if that priest is there and if he has any answers. If fate dictates that I run into that woman again...well, anything can happen when one travels alone to a dilapidated building...and I'm not going to let anyone come in between me and Tatsuya._

* * *

 **~First High Quad~**

Kanon returned to the quad to find another disturbance. _Here we go again_ , she said to herself.

"Hey, you! What are you doing?" an angry Course 1 student shouted.

"It's none of your business," Erika replied hotly.

"What?" This seemed to only make the other student angrier.

"Sekimoto..." A bystander tried to calm the Course 1 student, Sekimoto Isao, but to no avail. Well, it might have worked, had Erika kept her mouth shut. But the chances of that were the same chances of John Mulaney returning from a secondary location: slim to none.

"We're just observing, that's all."

"Hey, Shiba, what's going on?" Kanon said, rushing over to Tatsuya and Miyuki.

"...and besides, we're not doing anything wrong. I don't even know why you're yelling at us," Erika continued.

"Whatever!" retorted Sekimoto. "You two are in the way!"

"Apparently, seeing Erika and Leo wandering around doesn't sit well with Sekimoto," Tatsuya explained.

"With Sekimoto?" Kanon asked questioningly before turning to watch the drama.

"Sekimoto, I think that's enough..." the bystander said, but was quickly rebuffed by an irate Isao.

"Shut up!" he yelled. "You get back to work! Anyway, what's with that attitude of yours?" he said, turning back to Erika. "You're outsiders, so keep out!" This didn't go over well with Kanon, who decided to intervene.

"Why?" asked Erika as Kanon made her way over to them. "Everyone else is looking around, too!"

"Sekimoto, what's going on here?" asked Kanon, entering the fray and visibly siding with Erika and Leo.

"Chiyoda..." began Isao, before seeming to realize that he had caused too much of a ruckus. "Well, it's not a big deal. I was just telling these Course 2 students not to wander around."

"For future considerations," Kanon said sternly, "there's no reason to stop the first years from observing these experiments. If there's a problem, those of us on guard duty will do the reprimanding."

"But I'm on the Disciplinary Committee," Isao retorted, his pride wounded.

"The protective detail for the Thesis Competition will be handled by the Extracurricular Activities Federation and volunteers," Kanon replied cooly. "Would you mind leaving this to us?" Kanon knew, however, that it would be unfair to only get after Sekimoto, so she turned to Erika. "And would you mind leaving for today? That incident you caused earlier could be contrued from a different angle as a four-against-one assault. I'd hate to see Tatsuya's condition befall another student as well."

Erika seemed to consider Kanon's reasoning for a second, then smiled.

"We'll be taking off now, okay?" she said over her shoulder to Miyuki and Tatsuya. "Tatsuya, Miyuki - see you tomorrow!"

"Right," Tatsuya replied, engrossed in his work.

"I'm heading out, too," Leo added.

This small incident was officially over when Kanon got a text on her phone.

"Sorry, Kei!" she called to her fiance. "I'll be right back!"

"Hey, Kanon, wait up!" said Kei, chasing after her.

The two leaders of the protective detail were gone. This wouldn't have mattered much to most students, but it seemed to matter to Isao. He spotted an open tablet on the corner of the project workbench, and started making his way toward it. Just as he was about to grab it, Suzune reached over and turned it off.

"Ichihara?"

"I thought you had no interest in this type of practical theme, Sekimoto."

Tatsuya observed silently as Isao turned and walked away, frustrated.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Do you have the report I asked for?"

"Yes, ma'am. The targets of our surveillance have all been acting more or less as you predicted."

"More or less?"

"Well, you described the Yotsuba differently in your initial briefing."

"Yes, it seems that Yotsuba Maya is trying a different approach this time around."

"This time around?"

"So is Shiba, for that matter..." the woman said, pausing to think. "But when you consider the bigger picture, everything still makes sense. I wouldn't be too concerned. These things usually correct themselves. And what of Saegusa?"

"As you predicted, she's returning to the temple as we speak."

"Excellent. Go, meet her; see what she has to say, and what she wants to know. Don't divulge any information about me."

"Yes, ma'am. If she asks, should I tell her about the disappearances?"

"Yes, but only reveal where they all are right now - don't tell her what happened."

"But, ma'am, I don't know what happened."

"Oh, that's right! I'm sorry, it's hard to tell the difference between all of you. This is, what, number fifteen?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, never mind. You have your instructions. Go."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 **~First High~**

Erika was walking along the boulevard away from the project exhibit. It was a complete coincidence that Leo was walking the same direction. Neither of them spoke for the longest time, until Erika stopped in her tracks.

"Leo, are you free today?" she asked with unusual gravitas. Her tone took Leo by surprise. "Well?"

"I guess I don't have any plans," he replied. _Other than go to school_ , he said to himself.

"Then come with me."

Back at first high, Kanon opened the door to the nurse's office to interview Hirakawa Chiaki.

"Excuse me...?" Taking in the scene before her, Kanon couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Dr. Asuka had Chiaki pinned on the floor, holding one of Chiaki's arm in such a way that would dislocate it if Chiaki tried to escape. "Um...I'd like to ask that girl some questions, so could you let her go...no, wait. Could you sit her down, please?"

"Sure thing." Dr. Asuka picked Chiaki up - she's surprisingly strong for a doctor - and set her down on a nearby cot.

"Do you know anything about the girl who died the day before yesterday?"

"That man killed her."

"If you don't know anything other than that, then why were you trying to steal data?"

"No..." Chiaki said defeatedly, "my objective was to re-write the program, and disable the magic device for the presentation."

"You wanted the presentation to fail?"

"No, that's not it! As much as I hate to admit it, that man would recover anyway. But I thought that he'd at least panic a little!"

"You did that out of spite? Depending on the outcome, you could've gotten yourself expelled, you know!"

"I don't care!" she said, breaking down into tears. "Not if it means getting one over that guy..."

Kanon knew she was getting nowhere, so she turned to Kei for help.

"Hirakawa Chiaki..." he said, "you're Hirakawa Koharu's younger sister, aren't you? You think it's Shiba's fault that your sister ended up that way? You think it's Shiba's fault that girl died?"

"Well, it is, isn't it? He left Ms. Kobayakawa for dead, and because of that, my sister felt responsible! And don't even get me started on the murder."

"If Shiba was in any way accountable for either of those accidents, then all of us who were present were equally to blame for not seeing it."

"Please don't make me laugh."

Kanon stood up in protest, about to get after Chiaki, but Kei motioned for her to wait.

"Even my sister didn't realize it," Chiaki continued, "so there's no way you would have noticed, either, Mr. Isori! He was able to see it because of who he is! That man said so, too! And yet, he's still..."

"What do you mean, Ms. Hirakawa?" Kei asked.

Chiaki turned away, clearly afraid to say any more.

"Ms. Hirakawa, it's okay to tell me," he pressed, "no matter what it is."

She turned back to him, looking at the ground.

"Gods aren't bound by our laws, nor do they care about our well-being..." Chiaki muttered, clutching her head with her hands as if she was about to explode. "Someone had to stop him..."

"All right, that's enough," Asuka interjected, effectively ending the interrogation.

"Ms. Asuka..."

"I'm handing her over to the Magic University Affiliated Hospital for tonight. Ms. Chiyoda...please pick this up tomorrow."

"Very well," Kei acquiesced, standing up. "Let's go, Kanon."

Once they were outside, they resumed their conversation.

"Kei, did you hear what I heard?"

"I think so, Kanon."

"She called Shiba a god and said he wasn't bound by our laws."

"She also said he was able to see something because of that."

"Something having to do with magic, then?"

"I don't know, Kanon...but, seeing as how we have no reason not to trust him right now, why don't we just ask him what he thinks she meant?"

"Right, and let's bring him to her interview tomorrow. Or whenever we talk to her again."

"Good plan."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

Leo and Erika were in an automated taxicab. The fact that they weren't clawing each others' eyes out was impressive; the fact that they were both sitting in silence, looking out their respective windows, was even more so.

A minute passed, and no one said anything.

Another minute went by.

And another.

"Don't you think it's too simple?" Erika asked, breaking the silence.

"What is?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it. Everyone's been a bit on edge recently. I've seen Tatsuya and Mayumi together more times than I can count, yet neither of them seemed truly happy...it's like there's something going on of which we aren't aware."

"No, I have noticed that," Leo said. "We can't rule out the possibility that it's all about those disappearances, but you're right. Something's off."

"And then we just randomly catch a student trying to steal valuable information? She was too well-equipped to have been spying for another school."

"You think it was professional?"

"That's what I said, idiot."

"I was just clarifying-"

"Yes, yes, you've made your stupidity clear enough," Erika interrupted, waving Leo off. "But don't get distracted. The theory that it was a professional job means it could be connected to other incidents."

"You mean Blanche? Or the Nine Schools Competition?"

"Both, for all we know. Even if in reality they aren't connected at all, we have to assume they are in order to be prepared."

"But an organization that could orchestrate all of that..."

"...wouldn't stop at the failure of a single girl," Erika said, finishing Leo's thought. "In fact, I doubt they'd fully rely on her anyway."

"That girl might have been a decoy."

"Exactly."

"You want me to play detective so we can smoke out the real culprit, then?"

"As if," Erika replied sarcastically. "We can just leave all the thinking to Tatsuya. He's probably already in the thick of it anyway."

"Then we're bodyguards?"

"Well, except that we'll be counter-attacking more than defending. But there's still something lacking toward that end."

"Something lacking?"

Erika took a moment to respond.

"Leo, your latent skills as a foot soldier are first-class. I think you've got the potential to surpass Hattori and Kirihara."

"Potential, huh? Meaning that there's something wrong with the skills I'm showing now, is that it?" Leo was initially defensive, believing this to be another one of Erika's jests.

"Well, you don't have a trump card, do you?"

"Trump card?"

"The kind of move that can kill your opponent for sure."

Now Leo took a moment before responding.

"You've got one, then?"

"Yes."

Leo thought about how to respond to that.

"It's true that I don't have a technique designed to kill my opponent," he said.

"It could be that it doesn't have to be us taking this on," Erika replied. "But if you're serious about getting involved, you probably need to be ready to kill or be killed. Are you prepared to learn something like that?"

"That's a dumb question," Leo responded with a smirk as the autotaxi came to a halt.

"In that case, I'll teach you," Erika said as she disembarked. The Secret Sword, Usuba Kagerou. It's the perfect move for you."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Tatsuya, being Tatsuya, had insisted on accompanying his friends around town that evening like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't been blamed for the death of a student. Like half the nation didn't hate him and wasn't protesting outside of First High.

"I see," he said as Kanon explained the situation. "So she's Ms. Hirakawa's younger sister."

"What's that about?" Honoka interjected, slightly angry on Tatsuya's behalf. "Isn't that just an unjustified grudge?"

"Or maybe she's taking it out on Tatsuya?" Shizuku theorized.

"She must really love her older sister," Mizuki commented.

"So it shouldn't be a problem if we just let her be, right?" Tatsuya said, bringing the conversation back on track.

"You're the one she's targeting, you know!" Kanon retorted.

"I think the best thing would be for Ms. Hirakawa to talk to her, and make her reconsider," Kei added.

"Let's not involve Ms. Hirakawa in this," Tatsuya replied. "They may be sisters, but she has nothing to do with this, and isn't accountable."

"Hey, so you do have a nice side," Kanon said with mock surprise.

"Only because it could escalate into even more of a hassle," Tatsuya responded. "Besides, she's not the only one who's been skulking around this place lately."

"Oh, one other thing, Shiba..." Kanon said, slightly hesitant. "When we interviewed Ms. Hirakawa, she seemed to have some...unusual...ideas about you."

"What do you mean by unusual?"

"She...eh...it sounds silly to say this out loud, Shiba," Kanon began, "but she got agitated and called you a god, saying that the rules didn't apply to you and that you had to be stopped. Or something like that."

The entire group stopped at this, and Kanon thought she glimpsed a worried glance from Miyuki at Tatsuya, but she wasn't sure.

"A god...? That's ridiculous!" Honoka laughed, breaking the tension. "I mean, Tatsuya's amazing and all, but a god? It really was an unjustified grudge?"

No one could really tell why Honoka found it so funny. No one else was laughing. But Kanon quickly spoke up.

"As I said, it's silly," she laughed. "I just thought you might want to know that."

"What I want to know," Tatsuya said, "is where she got such an outlandish idea in the first place."

"She said some man told her," Kei responded. "But then again, the same man told her that you killed that girl. It's obvious that this was another attempt to defame you, though, I have to admit, it's rather unusual."

"Rather unusual indeed..." Tatsuya muttered. He barely had time to react before the rotten fruit hit his face.

"Go to jail, you murderer!" a passing citizen shouted, identifying himself as the culprit.

Miyuki's brow furrowed.

"Excuse me," she said.

Getting no reply, she repeated herself - just a tad louder.

"EXCUSE. ME."

The man looked over at the small girl standing before him, whose friends were all looking at her in shock.

"Did you throw that apple?"

"Hah! You care about that murderer? That makes you-"

"Apologize," Miyuki said, interrupting the man.

"Why should I? He's a filthy - argh!"

The man's retort was cut short by the snap of Miyuki's fingers. He turned pale and fell to the ground, frozen in place.

"Miyuki!" cried Kanon. "What did you do?!"

Miyuki didn't answer. She just looked at the corpse of the man, anger burning in her eyes.

"She used her unique magic," Tatsuya explained solemnly. "She froze him, or rather, froze his Eidos."

"What do you mean, Tatsuya?" Kei asked.

"You know how freezing spells work, right?"

"Yeah, they reduce the amount of energy in the target."

"Well, Miyuki reduced the energy in that heckler's Eidos to the point where his consciousness cannot change from its current state. In essense, he's brain-dead, but also in his Eidos, which shows up as discoloration. The effects are permanent."

"But you can use Regrowth, right?"

"There's something special about the human mind. Consciousness can't be reset once it's lost. I'm sorry."

"Why, Miyuki?" Kanon asked. "Why'd you have to kill him?"

"Because he was a fool who made a judgment without having all the information," Miyuki replied darkly. "And, he dared to insult my family."

 _That's that Yotsuba training for you_ , Tatsuya thought.

"What are we going to do?" Honoka said, crying hysterically.

"I'd better call an authority," Tatsuya replied, opening his phone. "Hello? Major? We have a situation..."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Long story short, Mr. Hayama...apparently, the girl in question has failed."

"I understand your concerns, Lord Chen. But since you revealed nothing about your true identity to her, I do not believe there's any immediate danger of information leaks. However, the Yotsuba would be all to happy to provide contingency plans, in case anything should happen."

"If you say so, Mr. Hayama, then we should be fine. I'm trusting that the Yotsuba have contacts which will make sure there aren't any unexpected twists."

"We are well aware of what you want us to do. In the next few days, I'll send an agent to appraise the situation."

* * *

 **~At the Kanto Temple~**

Mayumi noticed, as she walked up to the door, that the sign saying the priest was gone had been removed. This gave her hope that her trip had not been in vain, for she might finally receive some answers...even if they weren't the answers that she was looking for right at that moment. She hesitantly approached the big wooden door and knocked. Right as she was about to knock for a fourth time, the door swung open to reveal a young man clad in a priest's garments.

"Hello, miss. Can I help you?"

"Oh, well..." Mayumi began, startled by the priest's sudden appearance, "yes, I suppose you can. I heard that there was a priest at this temple who knew where all the people are? The ones who disappeared, I mean. Do you know him?"

"You're looking at him."

"Oh, well, can you tell me what happened?"

"No, I can't. Frankly, I don't know what happened."

"Huh...that's a shame. I suppose I'd best be on my way, then."

"Hold on there, miss. I said I didn't know what happened to them. I didn't say that I had no idea where they are now."

"Oh! Well, can you tell me?"

"I'd be easier to show you." He motioned for her to step out of the doorway, then he steppped out and closed the door behind him. "Come, follow me!"

He led her around to the back of the temple, where a small graveyard was located. Several holes had been dug in some of the empty plots. Mayumi could see a shovel leaning against the wall of one of the holes.

"A few weeks ago, August 12th, to be exact," the priest explained, "my dog smelled something beneath the ground. Several things, actually. So I got a shovel and started digging."

"Let me guess," Mayumi said, getting a hunch, "you found bodies."

"That's right," the priest said. "Perfectly prepared for burial. It was almost as if they had been buried, just without coffins. I called around the neighborhood and eventually identified every single one of them - 27 in total - and each one was listed as missing since August 12th. I started to tell people, but some official told me to keep quiet. About both the disappearances and herself."

"The official was a woman?"

"Whoops, I've said too much," the priest replied. "It feels good to get all of that off my chest, though. But as good as it feels, I think you'd best be leaving."

"Did you happen to see what she looked like?"

"She? She who?"

Mayumi saw she was getting nowhere.

"Thank you for your help. I'll leave you to your meditations, then."

"Thanks for visiting, Ms. Saegusa."

This made Mayumi pause for a second.

"How'd you know my name?"

The man froze for a second, but quickly regained his composure.

"You introduced yourself when I opened the door, remember?"

Mayumi knew this was not true, but she wanted to get out of there rather than risk any conflict. Once she had left, the "priest" pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"Yes?"

"She just left, ma'am."

"How did it go?"

"Well...I may have accidentally let it slip that my boss is a woman, but other than that, it went perfectly."

"She bought the story?"

"She did."

"In that case, I'm willing to overlook your minor slip. Again."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, never mind. Just get back here as soon as possible."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 **~The Next Day~**

Tatsuya and company were eating lunch, trying to put the previous night's disaster behind them.

"Are Erika and Saijo still in training?" Honoka asked.

"I think those two are off today," Tatsuya replied.

"The two of them together?"

"Right, the two of them together," Tatsuya said with a sly smile.

"Of course, it's always possible that it's just a coincidence..."

"It's also possible that it's not a coincidence," Shizuku interjected. "Those two as a couple...not really a stretch, is it?"

Mizuki turned to Tatsuya and Miyuki.

"Really?"

"What good will it do to ask us, Mizuki?" Miyuki replied bitterly.

"You're right."

"No, I didn't really notice anything between them," Miki added nervously,

"But if they're taking the day off together, then what on earth could they be doing?" Mizuki wondered.

"Erika and..."

"Leo...?"

The thought of what Erika and Leo could be doing made both Mikihiko and Mizuki blush.

"Here's my take on it, which is conjecture layered over a hypothesis," Tatsuya said. "Erika might actually be running Leo into the ground now..." He cut his hypothesis short when he saw Mayumi enter the cafeteria and look around, presumably for him. "I'll be right back," he said.

"Oh, there you are, Tatsuya," Mayumi said as he approached her. "Would you care to join me for a walk?"

"Of course, Mayumi," he said.

They stepped outside and walked silently for a couple minutes, to make sure no one would overhear their conversation. Finally, Mayumi spoke up.

"Tatsuya, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened last night. Miyuki must be absolutely distraught."

"That's the scary thing," sighed Tatsuya, "she's not. Instead, she's been fuming all day. She's really mad at whomever framed me."

"I completely understand _that_ feeling," Mayumi said, getting a little angry herself. "But the question is - when are we going to do something about it?"

"I'm thinking about calling a meeting later this week. I want to finish my current work on the Thesis Competition first, but I want everyone to be there. Well, everyone we can get, that is."

"So you heard about Lina, then?"

"I did. I haven't told anyone else, because I don't want to create a panic, but it is indeed worrying. The only people who could successfully kidnap a Strategic-class magician and commander of STARS, in my opinion, are the Yotsuba."

"Meaning it's time to reveal your identity and our relationship, and then go to war?"

"Meaning," he said, putting his hand on Mayumi's shoulder to comfort her, "that they probably figured out how to activate Rewind."

"Oh," Mayumi said, visibly disappointed. "But how'd they figure that out? You don't even know how to cast it yet."

"That's a troubling question," Tatsuya replied. "But we don't need to worry about that right now. And I promise that the day will come when we don't have to hide anymore. Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

"Okay, my love," she said, pressing her head against his chest and trying not to think about the woman at the temple. "How do you think Miyuki would handle it if she lost Masaki?"

"I think she'd lose it," he said. "She is a Yotsuba, after all."

"And what if you lost someone you cared about?"

Tatsuya took a minute to think about his response.

"The person who was responsible wouldn't live to see the morning."

* * *

 **~Meanwhile, at the Chiba Family Dojo~**

"Hey! It's wrinkled again!" Erika said as she hit Leo on the head with a bamboo training sword.

"Hey, that hurts...I've told you a hundred times! Talk to me before you raise your hand!"

"Well, you wouldn't get it even if I said something."

"And clobbering me is what's gonna get through to me?"

"Hmph."

Leo and Erika were training, using one of Tatsuya's discarded strategies as a jumping off point: Leo would cast a spell on a piece of cloth to straighten and strengthen it, essentially turning it into a sword, and the use that sword in his 'trump card' move. But in order for the sword to be effective, it had to be perfectly straight with no wrinkles whatsoever. That's what Leo was practicing at the moment.

"Well, I guess I can't blame you for wanting to hit a wuss like me," he said dejectedly.

Erika noticed his attitude and knew he wouldn't learn much anymore.

"Okay, why don't we take a break?" she said, getting a glass of water. "Here."

He accepted the water, and drank it quickly.

"Tatsuya thought you would be able to do it with that cloak on," Erika continued. "Is it all that different?"

"You mean during the Nine Schools Competition? I mean, I never used it, so I don't really know. But even if there were small wrinkles, I don't think it would have affected its function as a shield. And it had an auxiliary spell incorporated into it, to aid its expansion."

"But this one has an auxiliary spell incorporated into it, too. I guess it would be faster to ask Tatsuya, then?"

"No, we can't do that! Putting Tatsuya to trouble would be messing up our priorities. I just have to master it myself, that's all," Leo said forcefully as he stood up again and continued practicing.

Erika couldn't help but look at him with a little admiration.

"That's so manly," she said quietly.

* * *

 **~October 22nd, 2095~**

As the date of the Thesis Competition drew nearer, Jumonji set about training volunteers from the Extracurricular Activities Federation to help with security at the venue.

"Jumonji, I know you're trying to boost the morale of the protective detail, but don't you think they might lose confidence instead?" Mayumi said as she and Mari watched the training on a computer monitor. Jumonji had just taken out several students in a row using Phalanx.

"He probably wants to put them through the wringer while he can," Mari commented. "He is the chief commander of the protective detail, after all." Both women paused as cries of anguish and explosions were heard over the monitor. "That's seven he's lost already, huh?"

"Who's left, then?"

The camera magically panned down on Mikihiko as if heeding Mayumi's request.

"Is that...?"

 _I'd thought I'd learn a lot if I came here, but did I jump the gun?_ Mikihiko wondered. He wasn't technically a part of the protective detail; he just wanted combat experience. _Calm down, Mikihiko. This is just a mock battle._ Suddenly, one of Mikihiko's magic alarms went off. _I've been discovered!_

He closed his eyes and quickly located Jumonji. _Three, two, one... Now!_ He slammed his hand down on the ground, sending a burst of magic deep into the earth. Jumonji stopped as the ground all around him cracked, then exploded in a cloud of dirt a hundred meters high; when the cloud cleared, Jumonji was standing on top of one of his Phalanx barriers, barely having survived the huge explosion.

"Interesting," he said to himself. Then his phone buzzed. He took a look at the message. _So, Tatsuya...you're finally sending out the call..._

* * *

 **~Later That Afternoon~**

"Sorry to ask you to do this on such short notice."

"It's fine. If it's practice against Jumonji, please ask me again anytime."

A group of girls holding trays approached the door.

"Everyone on guard duty, good work today! We've brought you your lunch!"

"Thanks!

Mikihiko turned to leave.

"All right, I'll be heading out now."

"You stay for lunch, too, Yoshida."

"But..."

"Break time! The food's here!"

Mikihiko noticed that the last girl through the door was Mizuki, so, acting like he was being forced, he joined the protective detail for a late lunch. He sat alone, close to the door, until Mizuki approached him.

"Um... Good work today," she said, holding a tray of rice cakes to give to Mikihiko.

"Thank you, Ms. Shibata," he replied, looking not at the food but at the girl delivering it. Both of them blushed.

"Mizuki?" one of the other girls said, handing Mizuki food as well. "Let's stop for lunch now, too."

"R-Right," she stuttered.

They ate their food in silence, both too embarrassed to speak up.

"Oh, uh...would you like some more?" Mizuki asked, noticed that Mikihiko had emptied his cup.

"Y-Yeah," he replied awkwardly. "Thanks."

As he handed her the glass, their hands met. Both looked away, blushing; Mikihiko even tried to take a sip from his cup, but then remembered it was empty.

"U-Um..."

"Ms. Shibata?"

"Um...I think I'll be going now..."

"Thank you for the food, Ms. Shibata."

"You can call me Mizuki, Mr. Yoshida."

* * *

 **~Later, at the Shiba Residence~**

Tatsuya couldn't suppress a frown as he received a text from Mayumi. _I'm so sorry, Tatsuya, but something unavoidable came up,_ it read. Please, give everyone my regards. Again, I'm so sorry!

"What's wrong, Shiba?" asked Masaki over a video call. He hadn't had enough time to travel to Tokyo, so he was joining the conference remotely.

"Ms. Saegusa apparently has conflicting plans," Tatsuya replied. "I'm concerned, given that she was excited about this meeting just a couple days ago."

Back at her mansion, Mayumi sighed as she stared at the message on her screen: _Mayumi, come now if you want the Relic. You know the spot._ It made her nervous, uncomfortable, and a little afraid to think that the mysterious woman she met - and who apparently silenced the priest - had her private phone number.

"Are you ready?" Kouichi asked, entering her room.

"Yes, oto-san. I just don't like lying to him. I don't like any of this, to be honest."

"And that's why both myself and a small security force are accompanying you. After your last visit there," he said as he narrowed his eyes, "which I'm still mad about, by the way, seeing as how you did the exact opposite of what I told you to do, there's no way that I'm letting you go there alone - no matter what your answer is going to be. I just want you to be safe."

"Thank you, oto-san."

"This house looks like you," Jumonji said as he crossed the threshold into Tatsuya's house. "A deceptively simple design, but quite elegant and sophisticated undertones."

"Thanks for coming, Jumonji," Tatsuya replied, ignoring Katsuto's comment about his house's appearance. "Everyone's gathered inside."

Jumonji walked into the living room to find Kudou Retsu seated there, side-by-side with Miyuki, with Ichijou Masaki on a video call.

"Sir," he said, saluting Kudou with a bow.

"Ah, young Jumonji," Kudou said, rising and returning the bow. "I had heard you might be coming. This is our first meeting, correct? Outside of seeing each other at Master Clan meetings."

"You are correct, sir," Jumonji replied. "It's an honor to meet you."

"No, the honor is all mine," Kudou replied. "If our leaders of tomorrow are each as honorable as I hear you are, then this country will surely prosper."

"Thank you, Mr. Kudou," Jumonji said, remaining standing as Kudou retook his seat.

"Let's get down to business," Tatsuya said, commanding the group's attention.

Elsewhere, Mayumi and the Saegusa security team were arriving at the Kanto temple. To make sure Mayumi wouldn't be endangered, the team would hang back unless a threat was specifically made against Mayumi. As for her father, he would accompany her during the meeting, to try to ascertain the identity of the mysterious woman.

"Why are you here?" an otherworldly female voice asked.

"We're gathered here tonight for two purposes," Tatsuya began. "One: the recovery of Angelina Kudou Shields from her unknown abductors. Two: plotting our immediate course of action against the Yotsuba. I take it you are all still willing to participate? If not, that's fine, I completely understand."

"If I may speak for all of us," Jumonji responded, "we're in. The Yotsuba have been making several plays for power recently, so much so that it has become evident that they are far more widespread than the Ten Master Clans know. We can't let them get out of hand."

"We're here to talk," Mayumi replied. "You texted me and asked for a meeting; well, here I am."

"I wanted to meet with you and you alone," the voice replied, this time from a different direction. "Why is _he_ here?"

"He's here to make sure things don't get out of hand," said Mayumi.

"That's good to hear," replied Tatsuya. "Well, then, let me share my theory with you - but first, a little background information."

He paused and took a breath.

"For the last few weeks, I have been researching the origin of magic. It's a long and fascinating subject, which I won't go into right now, but let me say that the product of this research was the discovery of a Relic of the Nino Magatama which seems to have been part of an ancient device used to create magic as we know it."

He took the Relic out of its box to show to his audience, surprising only Jumonji and Masaki.

"You actually have the Relic with you?" asked Jumonji skeptically.

"Yes, I brought it with me," the voice replied. "But you know the conditions, Mayumi. You may only have it if you swear to wed my son."

"Who are you to address my daughter so familiarly?" Kouichi interrupted angrily. "Show yourself, witch!"

"I address whomever I please however I please, Kouichi," replied the voice from another direction. "If you have a problem with that, well, the exit is over there."

"I know your terms," Mayumi said, steering the tense conversation back to its original purpose. "But how am I to know that this Relic is real, or that it is beneficial? For example, what does it do?"

"You said this tiny thing helped create magic?" Kudou asked inquisitively. "I have to say, son, you've lost me there."

"It carries within it all the data for which to rewrite the world, much in the same way my Regrowth rewrites an Eidos. However, it doesn't carry the methodology within it, meaning that there must be another part or two. See how it's shaped like one half of the Chinese yin and yang symbol?"

"You think there's a matching relic," Jumonji surmised. "What would it do? Take the data from the Magatama and apply it?"

"This relic is a tool, of sorts," the voice said. "It contains a physical manifestation of an Ancient Magic spell called Matoi."

"That's Parade, isn't it?" Mayumi asked, connecting the dots.

"You're very well-informed, I see," the voice replied from yet another direction. "Matoi is indeed the Ancient Magic form of Parade, but the version in this Relic is different. Raw, like a first draft. Very, very powerful, when used correctly."

"That sounds very dangerous," Ichijou commented. "I know we have more pressing matters to discuss, but can you explain one thing - how did the union of these two relics create magic?"

"I'm not quite sure on the specifics," Tatsuya replied, "but from what I've gathered, there was once a time without magic in the world. Well, without the effects of magic, really. See, we have magic today because we change the Idea Dimension, and that then changes the physical world. But back then, it was the other way around: people would change the physical world, and that would change the Idea Dimension. Then Merlin comes along, somehow realizes that the Idea Dimension exists, and casts a spell to re-create the world as it was at that time. By casting that spell, Merlin reversed the polarity of the connection between the Idea Dimension and the physical world, allowing others to use magic as well. That spell was cast using the two Relics and an elementary CAD of sorts."

"I get it," said Mayumi. "You don't need to continue."

"Well, then, are you ready to make your decision?" the voice asked from right behind Mayumi, starling her. "You know what you have to do."

"I don't get it, Shiba," Jumonji said. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"The Yotsuba know that I have this Relic, and they know what it can do," Tatsuya replied. "Mr. Kudou, would you like to explain the rest?"

"Matoi, the Ancient Magic spell hypothesized to reside in the second Relic, was taught to the Kudou family a long time ago," Retsu responded. "When Modern Magic was popularized, we updated it to work with modern CADs and magicians. It's now called Parade; I know it, but more specifically, Angelina knows it."

"You think the Yotsuba took Lina so that they could get their hands on the second half of the Relic device?" Masaki asked, astonished.

"I do," replied Mayumi. "I know exactly what I have to do."

"Exactly," said Tatsuya. "Which means our two goals have become one. We must aid the Kudou clan in retrieving Ms. Shields, and then enact retribution against the Yotsuba for daring to take such action. The war has begun."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Masaki called Miyuki after the meeting had ended.

"Are you okay, Miyuki? You hardly spoke at all during that conference."

"I'm fine, Masaki. Thanks for asking," she replied. "It's just...I...kind of...killed someone yesterday...and I'm kind of scared."

"Because it was hard?"

"Because it was easy."

"Oh," Masaki said. "If it's any consolation, I had that same feeling during the Sado invasion. You know about that, right?"

"Yeah, it's where you got the nickname Crimson Prince."

"I killed a lot more people than I like to think about, Miyuki," Masaki admitted. "Especially now that I've met you...now that I have someone to care about, to protect, it makes the memory of killing so many people so easily hard to live with. But I think that's something which we might have to get used to."

"Huh?"

"Magicians...we aren't the trick-dealing wizards of legend," Masaki lamented. "We're living weapons. Each and every one of us. And for you and me, being at the top of the Yotsuba and Ichijou clans...we will almost certainly be surrounded by violence and bloodshed. I'm not saying we get used to it, I'm just saying that's the world we live in."

"I sure wish it wasn't."

"Me too, Miyuki. Me too."


	22. Yokohama Disturbance Part 4

**[Episode 22: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 4]**

"I accept your deal," Mayumi said quietly.

"What's that? I didn't hear you," the voice said tauntingly. "Please, speak louder."

"I accept your deal."

"What deal? Can you please elaborate?"

"Fine," retorted Mayumi. "You offered to give me a Relic in exchange for my hand in marriage, so that your son could marry me. I accept."

"That's more like it," the voice said. A small USB drive flew out of the darkness and landed at Mayumi's feet. "There's your copy. If you marry anyone other than my son, this video will be shown at your wedding."

Mayumi gasped, and tears came to her eyes.

"What, were you thinking of double-crossing me?" the voice continued. "You certainly are your father's daughter...did you really think I wouldn't have planned for that?"

"No...I..."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. We'll be in touch."

"No...wait, please!" Mayumi cried, but the voice didn't answer. "I didn't know...I was only trying to..."

"That's some mess you got yourself into," Kouichi said. "Well, at least Tatsuya understands, given that he obviously wanted you to try to double cross her."

"Actually, oto-san..." Mayumi said sheepishly, "I never actually told Tatsuya about this...and I don't think I ever will. He'd never trust me again if I did!"

"Those are dangerous waters you're entering, Mayumi," her father replied. "I won't offer any course of action, but let me remind you...my relationship with Yotsuba Maya ended because I didn't give my everything to protect it."

"I know, oto-san, and I'm trying to do my best."

"As a wise man once said," Kouichi began with a smile, "you either do, or you do not; there is no _try_."

This little joke caused a wistful smile to return to Mayumi's saddened face.

* * *

 **~The Next Morning, at the Kokonoe Temple~**

"So, Sensei, that's why we're here," Tatsuya said as he finished explaining the situation to Kokonoe Yakumo; he, Miyuki, Mayumi, and Jumonji were visiting him in order to get his advice on their next course of action. "But I guess that you would already know most of that, wouldn't you?"

"I do keep my ears open, yes," Yakumo replied with a sly smile. "You actually wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've heard. Especially about Ms. Saegusa and her temple visits..."

 _Oh, no!_ thought Mayumi. _He's going to tell Tatsuya about the deal!_

"...but we'll save that for another time," he concluded, glancing over at Mayumi's worried expression. "So, you want my advice? I suggest that you return that rare item you have as soon as possible."

"So there _are_ other parties after it," Tatsuya surmised. "Can you tell me who they are?"

"I suspect they'll reveal themselves soon enough," Kokonoe replied. "In the meantime, let's talk about your plan for the Yotsuba. You do know that they are far more powerful than the rest of the Ten Master Clans, maybe even the rest of the world, right?"

"I actually developed a special magic just for them," Tatsuya replied. "As long as they don't know I'm coming, I can kill them before they even raise any magical defenses. And that's just a backup plan in case my other spells don't work."

"My, my, you're certainly being cautious, Tatsuya," Mayumi commented. "Are those spells the ones you told me about that night during the Nine Schools Competition? Does that mean you've been planning this since then?"

"Indeed," he replied with a curt nod. "I'd like to be the one to make a preemptive attack, so I've been gathering the resources and information I'd need to do that."

"But what about all the Yotsuba have done to you?" Jumonji asked. "Nearly assassinating you, framing you for murder, academic sabotage? None of that counts as a preemtive attack by the Yotsuba?"

"If the Yotsuba were going to attack us, Mr. Jumonji," Miyuki interrupted, "both you and Mayumi would be long dead by now. All of our allies would be."

"By the way, Miyuki," Yakumo added, "I'm impressed that you actually used your combat skills the other day. Granted, it was against a civillian, but good for you! You're going to have to be that cold-hearted in order to survive the coming battle with your aunt."

Miyuki scowled.

"Sensei, if you don't mind, please don't bring that up again," Tatsuya said. "Miyuki's...trying to overcome her emotions right now, and she doesn't need you to ruin it for her."

"Tatsuya!" Yakumo cried childishly. "That hurts!"

"So," Tatsuya said, moving on, "are you going to give us any other useful information, or should we be on our way?"

"Well, if you're not going to return the Nino Magatama to FLT - which I'm assuming you're not, given how you completely ignored that part of my advice - I suggest you complete it. You do want your other backup plan to be ready just in case, right?"

"Does that mean you know about the Staff of Merlin?"

"That's not what I said," Kokonoe replied. "I just might know where a special pendant with a yin/yang relief on it is buried, however. Just by happenstance."

"Where is it, Sensei?"

"Southwest of Kanto, there's an old ancestral tomb of the Lin family. Inside, in the final resting place of a certain daughter of that family, you'll find what you're looking for."

"What about the other half of the symbol?"

"That, I suspect, will also reveal itself when the time is right," Yakumo replied with another glance at Mayumi. "You should focus on the pendant for now."

"Thank you, Sensei. Are you going to charge me for that information?"

"Honestly, I'm tempted to, but the extermination of those Yotsuba rats is payment enough. If you pull it off, that is."

"Thank you, Sensei," Tatsuya said with a bow. "Everyone, if you have time, I'd appreciate your assistance in tracking down the final piece of the Staff of Merlin. I don't know what dangers await, but more importantly, I'd like to share the discovery with each of you."

"Your kindness - while unusual - is appreciated, Shiba," Jumonji replied. "I, however, have clan business to which I must attend. I think the next time we'll meet will be at the Thesis Competition. We can plan further when we're there."

"Thank you, Jumonji," Tatsuya said. "Let's use that opportunity to formulate our overall attack strategy, and we can meet again after the competition to work out details."

"Roger, Shiba," responded Jumonji.

"I, too, have some other matters to resolve, darling," Mayumi lied. She was just worried about Tatsuya finding out about her secret deal. "I really wish I could go, but I guess I'll just see you at the Thesis Competition, then, since I'll be busy for the next three days as well."

"Goodbye for a few days, then, Mayumi," Tatsuya replied, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll accompany you, brother," Miyuki said. "I don't really feel like doing anything else. Besides, it'll be our first outing as a semi-family. It could be fun."

"That's the spirit, Miyuki!" said Mayumi, gently hugging Miyuki's shoulders.

"Well, this looks like goodbye to everyone for now," Kokonoe interjected with his ever-so-apt timing. "Oh, let me give you one last piece of advice. When you're facing the present enemy, be careful not to lose your bearing."

"Bearing, did you say?" Miyuki asked.

"Sorry, but the death of the Yotsuba only pays for so much," Yakumo said, raising his hands apologetically. "Any more questions will cost you dearly."

* * *

 **~Later That Day~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki were hiking through the woods, following a map that a local townsperson had given them. The family tomb of Mei Lin was supposed to be in this area, but the dense foliage was making it hard to search. He couldn't use Elemental Sight because, frankly, there were no life forms in the tomb to look for, so it wouldn't be much different than simply looking around. They spent a good couple hours stumbling around in the forest, when finally, they stumbled onto the tomb. Literally.

"Ow!" Miyuki cried as she fell over. "Stupid rock..."

With a quick cast of Niflheim, the rock became as fragile as glass. She picked it up and threw it into the distance, where both she and Tatsuya heard the clang of the rock hitting a metallic substance. They looked at each other, the same thought racing through their minds. They didn't even have to speak; they both headed in the direction of the sound. All of a sudden, Tatsuya stopped dead in his tracks, and motioned for Miyuki to do the same.

"Tatsuya? What's wrong?"

He motioned for her to be quiet, then for her to stretch out her hand. She followed his instructions, and he touched her hand, using Psion Transfer to communicate silently with her.

 _We're being followed._

 _By who? Where are they?_

 _It's a crow familiar. About two hundred feet behind us. I wasn't sure if it was following us until now._

 _What are you going to do?_

 _Well, normally I wouldn't want to reveal my powers under these circumstances. But I don't want it to follow us any further._

Tatsuya snapped his fingers and the crow was obliterated in a puff of blue flame.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Our tracer's been obliterated, sir."

"At least we found out that Shiba Tatsuya still has the Relic on his person.

"We can scramble other tracers and catch up-"

"No, form a perimeter around their current location. From their conversation with that local, it sounds like they're searching for something. A tomb, I think. Make sure that our men are there when they get out of it."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and also, Hayama said he'd dispatch an agent to check on that little girl. Get rid of her before he does."

"Very well."

* * *

 **~The Lin Ancenstral Tomb~**

Finding the actual entrance to the tomb was easy once they had an idea of where it was. Immediately inside had been an atrium with several statues of oni and magicians battling each other, and a staircase leading down. They had been walking on the staircase for approximately five minutes, with no end in sight.

"Are we there yet?"

"Really, Miyuki? That's how you chose to phrase that question?"

"No...I'm sorry," she said dejectedly. "I'm just...in a bad mood. I'll get over it. Eventually."

"Miyuki..." he replied, stopping and turning to face her. He paused for a moment, as if he was about to say something but was second-guessing himself. He made up his mind quickly, however. "Miyuki, thank you for defending my honor that day. I know that it's supposed to be the other way around, me protecting you, but I appreciate it anyway."

Miyuki put a hand to her mouth, her eyes watering with tears.

"I know this has been a crazy few months for you," Tatsuya continued. "The Blanche incident, the Nine Schools Competition, getting engaged, the war with the Yotsuba...but let me just say, getting to know you these months has been the best time of my life."

"What about getting engaged to Mayumi?" Miyuki asked, wiping away a tear.

"Well, that's pretty nice, too," he replied with a smile. "You need to forgive yourself for killing that man. And you also need to come to terms with the fact that you're probably going to have to kill again."

"I know, Tatsuya...I just keep replaying it in my head, over and over and over again...that one minute, on an infinite loop." She took out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "But, like you said, I need to forgive myself and move on," she said, regaining her composure - but with the ever-rare sniffle still present. "Let's just get to the bottom of this thing. When will it ever end?"

They walked for another five minutes, making small talk, telling each other about their fiances, having a normal brother/sister conversation for once. Well, aside from the fact that they're both high school students who are about to be married and who are currently exploring a dank tomb of the first magician. Other than that.

"Over and over again..." Tatsuya muttered. "Wait a minute, Miyuki. I think I figured out why it's taking us this long to walk down a staircase."

A quick check with Elemental Sight confirmed Tatsuya's theory.

"What is it, Tatsuya?"

"A trap, of sorts," he replied. "You can't see it, but above the roof down there is another Relic, similar to the Nino Magatama in that it can store magic sequences. It also appears that it can overwrite Eidos data, similar to Parade."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, every couple minutes, it's resetting our location data to the top of the staircase. We're in a time loop, of sorts, except time isn't being reset...just our physical positions. It's not even resetting our memories of walking. I think it's meant to deter grave robbers, and if I hadn't had Elemental Sight, it would've deterred us as well."

"Wait, if it has a form of Parade in it, can we use it to complete the Staff of Merlin?"

"No, I don't think so," Tatsuya replied. "It appears to be a specialized spell, and the Relic itself isn't in the shape of a yin/yang symbol. I don't think it would fit with the other relic."

"That's too bad. We should take it anyway, right? It is a Relic, after all."

"I'm tempted to," Tatsuya admitted, "but I also want to leave it there as a security system. We may need to return the Staff of Merlin here later, after all. Besides, we don't want another Relic out in the world that the military could get their hands on. There's already going to be two, let's not add one."

"Yeah, okay. So how do we get out?"

"Why, Decomposition, of course. I'll destroy the Relic - as much as I hate to do such a thing - and once we're down the staircase, I'll restore it with Regrowth."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Tatsuya."

* * *

 **~Meanwhile, at First High~**

"Erika, I hate sitting around and doing nothing! I feel like I did all that training for nothing."

"Leo, we're not doing nothing. We're conducting surveillance on the project materials."

"Why do we need to watch them, again?"

"Are you thick? What if someone tries to steal them?"

"There's security cameras in there, right?"

"What if the security cameras get turned off?"

"Erika, why on earth would the security cameras ever get turned off?"

"Because someone was about to steal information and they didn't want to be caught."

"That's...well...that kind of makes sense," Leo admitted.

"Of course it does," Erika replied. "I always know best when it comes to these things."

"Sure, you do."

They waited in silence for a few minutes. Nothing happened. Nothing had been happening for the last couple hours. Neither decided to leave, however, because they each harbored a secret crush on the other and - believe it or not - were enjoying their time together. Eventually, Leo spoke up again.

"Now you've got me worried that the security cameras are turned off."

"WILL YOU JUST BE QUIET? Someone might hear you!"

"If you're worried about people hearing us, then don't yell so loudly!"

"Well if you're worried about the security cameras, maybe you should just go and check on them!"

"Maybe I will!"

"Go ahead, then!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

And with that, Leo got up and entered the indoor workspace. But something wasn't quite right, or so his gut told him. _What the..._ he thought as he observed the scene. _The cameras actually aren't on! Let me turn those back on...this is an emergency! Someone is trying to steal information! I've got to warn...Eri...ka..._ Unfortunately, Leo didn't get the chance to warn Erika about the intruder, because the sleeping gas got to him first. He slumped over on the center console, completely unconscious.

Erika was slightly concerned when Leo didn't immediately return, but she was too mad at him to go in after him...so she chose instead to wait for him to come out, as any frustrated fool in love would do.

After about five minutes, Erika noticed movement by the door. _Is that..._ She squinted to try to get a better look. _Yes, that's him!_ She quickly dialed a number on her cell phone.

"Kanon, get to the Robot Research Club as soon as possible! Someone's breaking in!"

Meanwhile, Sekimoto Isao entered the Robot Research Club and walked over to Leo's body.

"Saijo? Saijo, are you asleep?"

Receiving no reply, he plugged a cord into an outlet on the main terminal.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kanon said from behind him, startling him and making him drop the device he was holding.

"Chiyoda?"

"Who would've thought you were an academic-industrial spy?"

"You're out of line, Chiyoda! I was making a backup, that's all!"

"Backing up with a hacking tool? Not likely, is it, Saijo?"

Sekimoto whirled around...

"No way! The gas isn't working, then?"

...to see Leo still slumped over the console.

"Huh? Saijo?" Kanon said, confused. "Are you actually asleep, Saijo?"

"That's just like him," Erika said, entering the room. "Always falling asleep during the action. But did I hear someone say something about sleeping gas?"

"That's right," Kanon chimed in. "You're the only one who knew about the sleeping gas. Sekimoto Isao, remove that CAD and place it on the floor."

Sekimoto turned back to face Kanon, gripping his CAD and preparing to select a spell.

"Chiyoda!"

A circle of light washed over Sekimoto, and he fell to the floor.

"Calling out your enemy's name...how pointless," Kanon said with disgust. "You try too hard to be cool, Sekimoto."

* * *

 **~The Tomb of Merlin~**

"Miyuki, catch!" Tatsuya tossed a specialized CAD to Miyuki as the tomb shuddered and crumbled around them. "It's a Flying Magic CAD! Use it to cross the gap!"

"Hai!"

After the seemingly infinite staircase, the tomb had been filled with all kinds of traps. Some had been magical, but it was the physical ones that they had to watch out for...there was no way to know what would trigger one. Spikes, pitfalls, falling rocks and jets of fire were just some of the many perils that plagued their journey. Somewhere along the way, part of the tomb seemed to collapse, and it looked like the entire thing could come down on top of them any minute.

"Why is the tomb of an ancient Chinese lady in Japan anyway?" muttered Miyuki as she effortlessly glided across the gap.

"In the legend, she was exiled from her village and left to travel the world," replied Tatsuya as he caught her. "My guess is that she somehow ended up here."

"That was a rhetorical question, Tatsuya."

"Then, when she died, she was buried here," Tatsuya continued. "It's quite the tragic tale, if you're into that kind of thing."

"Tatsuya. Rhetorical. Question."

"Look - up ahead, Miyuki! Some sort of puzzle door!"

"Oh, goody!" Miyuki exclaimed with extreme sarcasm. "I can't wait to use the wrong combination and get spears shoved up my spine!"

"Miyuki, don't complain. You volunteered for this, remember? You said it might be fun."

"It was fun in the beginning, but now it's just annoying. How much longer do you think this tomb is?"

"It shouldn't be much farther now..."

* * *

 **~National Magic University Affiliated Tachikawa Hospital~**

"Shu!" Mari exclaimed, running up to her boyfriend. "Um...I'm sorry. Both for being late and for making you come with me on a First High matter when you're so busy."

"Don't be such a stranger," Chiba Naotsugu said, chiding her.

"But you're shipping out early tomorrow morning, aren't you?"

"I wanted to be with you, Mari. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Mari turned a bright shade of red.

"You don't have to come out and say such an embarrassing thing..."

As the lovers were talking in the lobby, another party entered the hospital. A giant beast of a man, bigger than Jumonji, with a military haircut and small goatee. He slipped past hospital security easily and made his way to the stairs, ascending to the fourth floor, where he began walking down the balcony overlooking the hospital atrium. He was looking for a specific room, two doors down from the end of the balcony; he reached it quickly enough. Looking through the bulletproof glass window to confirm its occupant, he began to break down the locked door. He heard footsteps coming - he'd have to hurry.

Mari and Shu were still talking when they were interrupted by a piercing scream.

"That sounded close! Second, third floor, maybe?" Mari exclaimed, turning in the direction of the shriek.

"Mari! What floor is that girl from your school on?"

"The fourth floor!"

They didn't need to say any more. Both of them knew that Hirakawa Chiaki was in danger, and that they needed to get to the fourth floor as soon as possible. Chiba activated a Self-Acceleration spell and lept up the stairs to the fourth floor, landing on the balcony in a three-point ready position. He saw the mysterious assailant leaving Hirakawa's room, his forearms covered in blood, and immediately recognized him.

"The man-eating tiger, Lu Ganghu!"

Ganghu, surprised that someone at the hospital knew who he was, turned to face Chiba - and immediately recognized him as well.

"Illusion Blade, Chiba Naotsugu!"

Chiba quickly drew a pocketknife from his overcoat pocket, and Ganghu launched himself at Chiba in a Wushu-style run. Chiba activated his spring-loaded pocketknife as Ganghu drew his arms back, readying a Tiger-form attack. Chiba slashed downward through the air with his pocketknife - though this was no mere pocketknife. Ganghu was barely able to block the invisible psionic blade from slicing right through him, but just as he was about to counter-attack, Chiba quickly deactivated the blade, throwing Ganghu off his rhythm. Chiba then reactivated his Illusion Blade and slashed Ganghu across the chest, successfully striking him but doing little damage, before slashing downward once more to try to finish Ganghu off. Ganghu was ready this time, however, and he managed to block Chiba's blade and get into a better position to strike back. He chose to go with a high spin kick; even though Chiba evaded the martial arts manouever, he had to draw back, which gave Ganghu more time to attack. He rushed at Chiba, who tried to block with his invisible sword, but was driven back again by Ganghu's relentless attack. Now, having the advantage, Ganghu began throwing every wushu Tiger-form attack in his vast arsenal at Chiba, but none of them connected - this was acceptable, however, because his attacks forced Chiba to move even further down the balcony until his back was up against a wall. Seeing his opportunity, Ganghu used a Wushu-inspired spell, Coiled Silk Force, to strike at Chiba; Chiba knew his only option was to deflect the attack, so he grabbed Ganghu's hand...knowing full well that doing so while Ganghu was using Coiled Silk Force would injure him. This gave Chiba the upper hand again, however, as he brought his knife back around and activated his Illusion Blade before slicing across Ganghu's chest: a perfect strike which caused Ganghu to drop to his knees.

A noise behind Ganghu caused him to turn and see Watanabe Mari by the stairwell in a battle stance, CAD in hand and ready to cast. Using it, she sent two parallel energy blades hurtling across the floor at Ganghu. He absorbed the impact of the blows as he couldn't have dodged or blocked them, and, knowing that he could never win agaisnt two opponents - especially after being wounded by Chiba - Ganghu opted to make a strategic retreat. He jumped up on the railing and lept across to a chandelier hanging in the atrium, grabbing on to it to slow his descent. When there was no more chandelier to grasp, he dropped to the floor and landed flat on his back.

"Shu!" Mari cried, running over to her injured boyfriend.

"Mari, I owe you one," Naotsugu said, holding his wounded arm in his hands.

"Shu, you're hurt...!

"It's nothing," he replied, not wanting Mari to worry. "Never mind that, is that girl all right?"

"I'll go check!"

Shu retracted the blade of his pocketknife and put it back in his overcoat pocket, gently wincing from pain as he did so. He then looked over at Mari, who was running down the balcony to Chiaki's room. She arrived, and looked inside; Chiba heard her gasp and saw her cover her mouth with her hand before falling to her knees. He quickly ran over, ignoring the pain from his arm.

"Mari, what's wrong?!"

"We're too late..."

Naotsugu knelt down beside Mari to hug her, then looked in the room himself.

It was a bloodbath. Ms. Hirakawa had apparently tried to hide from Ganghu, as her body was over in a corner of the room, clutching a medical tool as if to use as a weapon. Ms. Hirakawa's head was on the ground nearby, crushed beyond recognition. Blood was streaked across the walls like a painting by a toddler; the green on Ms. Hirakawa's school uniform was stained

Closer to the door was a nurse lying on the ground in a pool of blood with a scalpel impaled in her temple. _She must've caught Ganghu in the act and screamed, and he didn't want any witnesses,_ Chiba thought. _Poor girl, she really didn't deserve this fate._

"Who...who was he?" Mari stuttered, trying to hold back tears.

"His name is Lu Ganghu," Chiba replied. "He's a magician with the Great Asian Alliance Special Ops forces."

"Lu Ganghu..." muttered Mari, "you will pay for this, I promise you."

* * *

 **~The Tomb of Merlin~**

"Tatsuya, above you!"

Miyuki's warning reached Tatsuya just in time for him to see the large boulder about to crush him. He quickly activated his contact-type Decomposition, but to Miyuki, it appeared that he had been crushed by the rock.

"Tatsuya! Tatsuya! No!"

"Calm down, Miyuki, I'm right here," he replied, stepping out of the rock with all the ease of a hot knife slicing through butter.

"Next time, can you cast Decomposition on the rock instead of waiting for it to hit you?" Miyuki said angrily. "I actually thought you were dead for a second."

"I don't think there'll be a next time, Miyuki," said Tatsuya. "There's a large antechamber on the other side of that rock. I think we've found it. The Tomb of Merlin."

"Really?" asked Miyuki, her attitude suddenly improving. "It's right there?"

"I think so."

Miyuki eagerly rushed past Tatsuya and went through the opening he had created in the boulder. Tatsuya followed her, trying to be attentive to more traps.

They emerged into a cavernous room that was lit by four large braziers placed at the corners of a large stone sarcophagus. The sarcophagus had the name Mei Lin etched into it in Chinese; Tatsuya saw this, translated it, and knew that they had reached their destination.

"Miyuki, there's a chance that sarcophagus is rigged with another trap, so I'm going to completely decompose the lid from a distance. Stand back."

"Hai."

Tatsuya aimed his Silver Horn at the lid of the sarcophagus, cast Decomposition, and watched it disintegrate into dust in a tongue of blue fire. There were no traps. Miyuki rushed over to it and peered inside.

"Tatsuya...it's empty..."

"No body?"

"Nope."

"No pendant?"

"Nope."

"That's certainly interesting," Tatsuya commented. "It seems someone got to it before us. My first thought would be Kokonoe-Sensei, since he knew about this tomb and the pendant's location."

"I'm afraid that's not quite what happened," a voice replied, startling both Tatsuya and Miyuki. "But good guess, anyway."

They looked up from the sarcophagus to see a woman in a clean blue pantsuit standing off to the side of the room.

"You must be excellent at disguising your presence, madam, if you evaded my detection."

"That's one way to put it, Mr. Shiba," the woman replied. "But I'm afraid that you don't get to ask questions. You're trespassing, you see, and I'm here to take you into custody."

"Wait, what?" cried Miyuki. "You can't do that!"

"I am the Regional Chairman of the Magic Association," the woman said. "I most certainly _can_ do that. Now, don't move while I cast the teleportation spell."

"Teleportation spell...?" Tatsuya muttered. "What is she..." Tatsuya was distracted by the woman taking an object out of her pocket. It was a small metal pendant with a relief of the yin/yang symbol; in the relief were two objects identical in shape to the Nino Magatama, but colored differently. One was navy blue, and the other was light yellow...each had the same semi-transparent quality as the Magatama, giving them the appearance of rare gemstones.

"Tatsuya!" Miyuki whispered, directing Tatsuya's gaze to the pendant with her eyes.

"I see it," he whispered back.

The woman attached the pendant to a metal staff that had been leaning against the wall.

"Is that what I think it is?" Tatsuya asked.

"You're not allowed to ask questions, remember?" the mysterious woman replied. "But, yes, this is indeed the Staff of Merlin. Now, stand still."

The woman struck the staff on the ground, and the yin/yang symbol in the pendant began to spin and glow with an otherworldly light. Magic circles travelled up the length of the staff, ending in the pendant. As the symbol spun faster, it glowed brighter; after about ten seconds, it was illuminating the entire room as if they were standing in the presence of the sun itself. The woman struck the staff on the ground again, and everything went white.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"There was a break-in at your school, Erika? Are you okay?"

"Yes, brother. You don't need to worry about me as much as you do. I can take care of myself."

"Sheesh, I fogot how self-assured you are. So, did you catch the culprit?"

"Quite easily. He was very, very stupid. Like Tsugu, for seeing that woman."

"Erika, am I going to have to tell you to be nice to Naotsugu again?"

"Hmph. If you're not going to offer to help, I'll hang up."

"What can I do for you, Erika?"

"Well, we have security camera footage of the entire incident. I was wondering if you could work your police magic and find out stuff?"

"Well...Erika...that's an awfully vague request..."

"Just do it, okay?!"

"Fine, fine, you got it. I'll...find out stuff..."

"Thank you!"

A background noise got Erika's attention.

"Wait, brother...are you with someone?"

"What? No...maybe...I'm partnering with a female magician on a case..."

"YOU'RE ON A DATE?"

"No, it's not a date, Erika!" Toshikazu said defensibly, looking over apologetically at Fujibayashi. "We're...working..."

"Oh, of course," Erika said with a sly smile...even though Toshikazu couldn't see her, he could imagine that impudent grin. "Well, I'll let you get back to your 'business,' okay?"

"It's not like that, Erika!"

"Bye, brother!"

Erika hung up, content with herself. As usual.

Toshikazu, on the other hand, looked over sheepishly at Fujibayashi Kyouko.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Fujibayashi...my sister...she can be a bit...bombastic..."

"What are you sorry for? Saying this isn't a date?" Kyouko returned, giving Toshikazu her best flirtatious look. "I'm hurt, Detective."

"What - no, I didn't mean - oh, this is hopeless, isn't it?"

"Yep. Why don't we just get back to our fox hunt, my Hound Dog?"

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"The situation has changed, Ganghu. Sekimoto Isao has failed his mission, and has been taken into custody. He's being held in the Hachioji Detention Center. Your grudge can wait. Dispose of Sekimoto Isao."

"Very well."

"Oh, and well done with Hirakawa. There weren't any witnessess?"

"Not anymore."

"Good. Then no matter what Chiba and his associate say, all they'll ever have is circumstantial evidence. But by then, Japan will have more to worry about than that."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

 **~The Next Day, at the Hachioji Detention Center~**

"Tatsuya still hasn't returned?"

Mayumi was on the phone with Jumonji. Mari couldn't quite hear their conversation as she was standing a few feet away, but it was obviously distressing Mayumi.

"Oh...I see. Thank you, Jumonji. Could you have him call me when he gets back? ... Thank you."

"What was that about, Mayumi?"

"Oh...nothing, really," Mayumi said with a false smile. "I'm just worried about Tatsuya. He went somewhere yesterday and hasn't returned."

"Mayumi, why are you so concerned about him? It's not like you two are dating or anything..."

Mayumi looked away silently; she couldn't lie to Mari. Unfortunately, her silence spoke volumes.

"Wait, you two ARE dating?!"

"Shh, Mari, keep it down! These detention facilities have security cameras, you know!"

"I never thought either of you would actually have the courage to solidify a relationship. No offense, Mayumi, but you're the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan, which has always been your reason for not dating in the past..."

"Well, I have to admit, I was surprised when he proposed as well."

Mari turned and stared at Mayumi, who was wincing from the realization of what she just said.

"Wait - you're not only dating, you're engaged to be married? Mayumi, that's huge news! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I...well...we had to keep it a secret...because...well, I can't tell you that, Mari," Mayumi said ashamedly. "And, to be honest, we haven't revealed our engagement to anyone outside the Ten Master Clans yet, so...care to keep a secret?"

"Mayumi, you're one of my closest friends. Just say the word and I won't say anything. But I wish you trusted me enough to tell me on your own terms. How long have you been engaged?"

"...since the end of the Nine Schools Competiton..."

Mari didn't say anything; she just sighed.

"Well, Mayumi, I suppose we'd better get back to business."

"Please? I really want to know why Sekimoto became a spy. Ooo, Mari, are you going to use your truth serum?"

Sekimoto was sitting alone in his cell. He was unusually shocked when Mari entered the room and walked toward him menacingly.

"Watanabe! What are you doing here?"

"I came to hear your explanation."

"Even you can't use magic in here!"

"Oh, really?"

Mari had a satisfied look on her face; this, along with her previous comment, confused Sekimoto...until he remembered about Mari's special skill and covered his face with his hands. He was too late, however, and Mari's scent-based mind control convinced him to lower his hands and give in to the situation.

"What was your primary goal?" Mari asked forcefully.

"My primary goal was to copy the data from the presentation onto the tool I was provided," Sekimoto answered robotically.

"Did you have any other objectives?"

"After copying over the data from the demo machine, I was supposed to go through Shiba Tatsuya's personal belongings."

"What were you after?"

"The Relic."

This last confession surprised Mari, and she turned to look at Mayumi through the two-way mirror that separated them. _I'll have to ask Tatsuya's fiancee about that,_ Mari thought. Unfortunately, the interview was cut short by the sound of an alarm blaring throughout the facility. Mari exited Sekimoto's cell and joined Mayumi in the adjacent room.

"Mayumi!"

"It's an intruder," Mayumi replied. "Wait, is that him?"

Mari turned to see who Mayumi was looking at. She saw a familiar face.

"Lu Ganghu..." she said to herself. "Mayumi, lock yourself inside Sekimoto's cell. This one's mine."

"O-Okay, Mari," Mayumi said nervously. "I hope you have a plan..."

"I do," replied Mari. "I'm going to kill him."

Mari stepped towards Ganghu, casting a Data Fortification spell to protect herself. She then drew a magic-enhanced sword from a clip on her thigh, and unfolded the blade from within the hilt.

"Lu Ganghu!" she shouted. "You have committed crimes against Japan and her people. What say you in your defense?"

He didn't respond; he simply rushed at her in the Wushu style.

"Execution it is, then," Mari muttered to herself, getting into a defensive position and readying her sword.

When Ganghu was in range, he brought his hand back, ready to strike Mari; she anticipated this, however, and swung her sword around to block. As she did this, she used the inertia from the sword swing to separate the blade of her magic-infused katana into three pieces which swung around Ganghu to attack him from the back. He noticed this at the last minute, and jumped backwards to try to dodge it...he wasn't quite successful, as one of the pieces slashed Ganghu in the side as it whiplashed its way back to Mari's sword.

Ganghu readied himself for another attack. He rushed at Mari, who faced him head-on; but at the last second, Ganghu disappeared, to Mari's disbelief. He reappeared behind her, heading for Sekimoto's cell.

"Mayumi!" she cried, desperately hoping that Mayumi heard her.

Ganghu ripped open the door to Sekimoto's cell, and was blasted back by a relentless onslaught of magic icicles. He looked back at Mari, who was standing still while pointing her sword at him. To Ganghu's dismay, he realized that the hilt of her sword had vanished, and that he didn't see it anywhere.

He turned his head to look the other way, and caught the faintest glimpse of black as the blade of Mari's sword traveled through his neck on the way back to its hilt.

Jets of blood spurted out from Ganghu's neck in both directions, and he fell to the ground in a pool of blood.

"Good riddance," Mari said emotionlessly as she turned and walked away.

* * *

 **~Kanto Branch of the Magic Association~**

Tatsuya and Miyuki had been sitting in a makeshift cell for many hours at this point; Miyuki had even fallen asleep at one point. Miyuki knew her brother could've easily manufactured an escape for them, but why would they escape when they were so close to the Staff of Merlin?

Suddenly, the door disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"Are we going to look for the Staff, Tatsuya?" Miyuki asked, confused.

"I didn't do that, Miyuki," replied Tatsuya grimly.

Their captor, dressed in the same blue pantsuit, entered the room.

"I was debating about how to introduce myself, but I think that does the job quite nicely, wouldn't you agree?"

"You can use Decomposition." Tatsuya said this not as a question, but as a fact.

"Mr. Shiba, I _invented_ Decomposition," the woman replied. "A lot of other things, too, in fact. But those things aren't why you're here today. You're here because you were trespassing on my property."

"If that is the reason for our detainment, then you must have some ulterior motive," said Tatsuya, "because that accusation holds no weight and you know it."

The woman sighed.

"Yeah, you're right, Mr. Shiba. I was hoping to keep that charade up for a little longer, but I guess I was foolish to expect that with you, right?"

"Who are you?" asked Miyuki, unable to bear her ignorance.

"You know who I am," the woman replied. "At least, your brother does. Would you care to explain, Mr. Shiba?"

"You somehow beat us to the Tomb of Merlin," Tatsuya said. "Even if you teleported, that still means that you knew exactly where the tomb was located. You are also in possession of the Staff of Merlin, and mentioned inventing magic."

"Tatsuya, you're not saying that this woman is Merlin, are you?" Miyuki asked incredulously.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," he replied.

"And you're one hundred percent right," the woman replied. "My name is Mei Lin, but you can call me Merlin, if you so choose. Pleased to meet you." She complemented her introduction with a bow.

"How is this possible?" asked Miyuki. "Merlin lived hundreds of years ago!"

"Remember, Miyuki, Merlin also created magic," Tatsuya said. "I'm sure Merlin would also have some tricks related to longevity up her sleeve."

"Quite right, Tatsuya," Merlin replied. "May I call you Tatsuya?"

"Only if you'll tell me about yourself," he said with an inquisitive smile.

"Well, I was born in 2020 in China to two successful scientist parents," Merlin said, obviously not afraid of revealing personal details. "When I grew up, I worked on a Dark Energy Manipulation device that was designed to harness the power of all of the dark energy - that is, the energy that can only be seen through its effects - in the universe, or, in today's languages, a CAD."

"You're saying that the Idea Dimension is composed of dark energy?" Tatsuya had, at one point, considered this idea, but he had discarded it as probably untrue.

"Precisely. At one point during our research, I got my prototype of the device working...it was then that I saw my chance. I had always been a fan of magic-related books, anime, and video games, and I saw that the dark energy in the universe wasn't really linked to anything at the moment."

"So you decided to remake the world using dark energy," Tatsuya said, finishing Merlin's thought. "Huh, I had thought that when you remade it, the world was then linked with the Idea Dimension, and that's what allows us to use magic."

"No, the dark energy is always there - it's everywhere - all I did was provide the basic technology used to harnass it."

"Are you referring to CADs? Because, if so, why have CADs only been invented in the last hundred years?"

"Actually, while I did invent a rudimentary CAD, my real discovery was humanity's previously-unknown capacity to store and release dark energy at will through genetic editing. This is what allowed me to actually use my prototype."

"Excuse me," Miyuki said, "but what do you mean by genetic editing?"

"Well, when I reformed the world, I inserted a gene to allow people to have a Magic Calculation Area in their brains," Merlin explained. "It's not a physical organ in the brain, but rather a biological part of your subconsciousness...how to explain it? Your consciousness is the only part of your body which can interact with dark energy, since your mind isn't physical. So, I thought, _'there are individual parts to consciousness, like reason and humor, which do not correspond to a part of the brain...so what if I could make a new one of those?'_ So I studied the genomes of various people in comparison to a graph of their consciousness, and through trial and error, discovered the genome that regulates that sort of thing."

"I think I understand it," Miyuki said.

"Trial and error," Tatsuya commented. "Would those be human trials?"

Merlin turned to face Tatsuya, a determined look in her eye.

"Naturally, they'd be human trials. It wouldn't do much good to give a pig a Magic Calculation Area, now would it?"

"Were these trials sanctioned?"

"Of course not. I don't think even our own government knew what we were up to."

"That's extremely unethical."

"I've done many unethical things to get what I want, Tatsuya," Merlin said coldly. "I sent the world plummeting backwards in terms of advancement; the very act of that alone stole billions of peoples' lives from them. A few unsanctioned human trials is nothing compared to that."

"And just what is it that you want, Merlin?"

"Would you believe me if I said world peace?"

"No."

"You're absolutely right on that point, Tatsuya. I want something...better...than world peace. I want excitement."

"Excitement?"

"The world of 2048 was so boring. The few wars that existed were always predictable, even the outcome. Television and entertainment provided no comfort. The only place in which I could find excitement was whenever I went against the traditional values of society."

"So you're basically just an adrenaline junkie with too much power."

"Basically, yeah," Merlin admitted. "And I'm looking for excitement. Which is why you're here. This is the first time you've ever dug up my tomb, but you'd never have found the pendant there. I started the rumor that it was buried there to throw suspicion off myself, but in reality, the pendant you're looking for never left my side."

"Wait...all of this, just to give us the pendant?" Miyuki said, surprised.

"Yeah, pretty much. Sorry you had to wait so long, by the way...I had a couple meetings to clear up."

"If that's why we're, then we'll take that pendant and be on our way," Tatsuya said forcefully.

"You don't even want to know what I expect you to do with it?"

"No," replied Tatsuya. "And, even if we did what you expected, that wouldn't be very exciting, now would it?"

"No, it wouldn't," said Merlin with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm glad I met you, Shiba Tatsuya. We should talk sometime. You and I have a lot more in common than you realize."

"Beyond Decomposition?" asked Miyuki as they were walking out the door.

"Yes, beyond Decomposition."

When Tatsuya and Miyuki arrived back at their house, they were surprised to find that Tatsuya had ten missed calls. Most of them were from Mayumi, wondering why they were taking so long and if they were okay, but a couple were from Fujibayashi Kyouko.

"Tatsuya - call me back as soon as possible. We've got them."

"Tatsuya - there's a developing situation. Nothing to be concerned about."

Tatsuya naturally chose to call Kyouko that very second.

"Sorry, I was...indisposed. What's the situation?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Tatsuya, it's actually good news. But first, we found the people who have been the Yotsuba's puppets, and we can confirm that they were working for the Great Asian Alliance. Unfortunately, we let the leader, Chen Xiangshan, get away, but we were able to take the entire mobile espionage unit into custody, so I'd call that an overall win. Also, Watanabe Mari took a powerful piece off the board - Lu Ganghu. Apparently he was responsible for the assassination of Hirakawa Chiaki."

"Ms. Hirakawa is dead?!"

"Oh, you hadn't heard," Kyouko said comfortingly. "Yes, she is, I'm sorry to say. Ms. Watanabe was there when it happened. But the killer has paid for his crime with his life, so that's pretty much settled. Now, on to the new situation."

"You said it's good news?"

"Yes. Angelina Kudou Shields was returned to Third High just a couple hours ago."

"As a member of the Kudou family, you must find that especially relieving."

"Actually, my grandfather didn't tell me she was missing. Apparently, he didn't want to interfere with my investigation, and, on some level, I'm glad that he didn't," Kyouko admitted. "I don't think the investigation would have been the same had I been worrying about Lina."

"That certainly is good news," Tatsuya said with a sigh and a smile. "Did Ms. Shields tell your family anything about her abductors?"

"She said it was a very odd experience. Apparently, they locked her in a large combat practice room and forced her to fight other magicians. Then, a couple nights ago, they drugged her food. She woke up today in the same spot she was taken from."

"That is odd," Tatsuya agreed. "It's possible that the kidnappers were collecting data on her fighting style. But why, I wonder? Unless...Ms. Fujibayashi, did Ms. Shields mention whether or not she had used Parade when fighting?"

"From what I remember, she used it the day before she was drugged," Kyouko replied.

"Thank you, Ms. Fujibayashi," Tatsuya said. "You've been a major help."

"Any time, Special Officer."

Tatsuya sat down on his couch, lost in thought. _If they were searching for information on Parade...is it possible they had some sort of scanner to see the Magic Sequence for Parade? If they could see that, they could reverse-engineer the spell itself fairly quickly...in that case, it's just a matter of who needed Parade enough to resort to kidnapping...the Great Asian Alliance? The Yotsuba? Merlin? I can think about this after the Thesis Competition,_ he concluded. _Right now, I should probably call Mayumi. We were gone awhile, after all._

He dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.

"Tatsuya, are you okay?!"

"Calm down, Mayumi, I'm fine. I just went cave delving for a day, that's all."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Tatsuya. I'm going to be your wife. It's my job to worry about you."

"That's fair enough," he said defeatedly. "But you'll never guess who I met today."

"Who?"

"Merlin herself."

"WHAT? How? Is she like really, really old?"

"She caught us quote-unquote 'trespassing' in her tomb, and she took us to her office in the Kanto branch of the Magic Association. We had to wait awhile, but when she finally talked with us, she confirmed many of my suspicions. Oh, and as for her age...she's probably only a couple decades older than us in appearance, but yes, she's really old. I didn't ask about how she did that, because, frankly, I don't want to know. Immortality isn't for me."

"I understand that. Was she nice?"

"She acted very friendly, but underneath it was a resolve that I've rarely seen in those outside the Yotsuba."

"What does that mean? That she's a Yotsuba?"

"Not necessarily, just that she shares a lot of similar characteristics with the Yotsuba."

"Well, you'll have to tell me all about it on our date tomorrow."

"Didn't you say you were busy until the Thesis Competition?"

"Oh, that's right!" Mayumi said, backtracking. "I completely forgot! You'll just have to tell me at the competition, then."

"Certainly, my love. Oh, and I just heard that Angelina Kudou Shields was returned to Third High."

"Yes, Kudou Retsu called my father to inform him. I'm glad, but also a little concerned. Did they not need her anymore?"

"I'm not going to think about it until after the competition," Tatsuya said. "But this does mean that we don't have to take action as soon as we thought."

"You know, for being a Yotsuba, you sure are willing to forsake conflict," Mayumi said absentmindedly. "N-Not that such a characteristic is a bad thing, of course."

"The ultimate goal of every soldier should be to never have to fight again," Tatsuya stated seriously. "As long as there is a path of peace, I will take that if I can afford it. Once conflict becomes necessary, however...may our enemies rest in peace."

"And, on that happy note, I have to go," Mayumi said sarcastically. "My sisters are calling me. I think they're going to tease me about you again. Bye, darling."

"Goodbye, Mayumi," replied Tatsuya before hanging up. _Merlin, Merlin, Merlin...what are you up to, Merlin?_

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"She was released just as you ordered, my lady."

"Excellent, Hayama."

"My lady - begging your pardon - I don't understand this new course of action. It seems like it benefits our enemies more than it benefits the Yotsuba."

"Are you questioning me, Hayama?"

"N-No, my lady, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the younger and more inexperienced members were tempted with such thoughts."

"Well, those who question leadership are traitors. And traitors are enemies. And enemies are dead. Let's hope this topic never comes up again, okay, Hayama?"

"Y-Yes, my lady."

"I think now would be a good time to let Kouichi know that we are aware of his daughter's engagement. Send him a card _...'Looking Forward to the Wedding!'_ or something like that."

"I'll do it right away, my lady."


	23. Yokohama Disturbance Part 5

**[Episode 23: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 5]**

 _If there's one thing that I've learned in my lifetime, it's that people never change. They can gain different habits, new ways of thinking, new relationships...but the people themselves don't change. Even when she rewinds the movie and changes the cast, the end result is still the same old boring show. How many times must she rewatch this fantasy of her own creation to realize that not all the actors are on board with her plot? He might forgive her, true, but he won't ignore her crimes. But that's not stopping her from trying, is it? She'll keep adding characters in her cosmic play...well, as the primary audience and critic of her performance, I must say it's grown rather dull. Maybe it's time I shake things up a bit..._

* * *

 **~The Saegusa Residence~**

"I see you're resting peacefully, Mayumi."

The sound of the familiar yet unknown voice jolted Mayumi awake.

"Have you abandoned your engagement to Tatsuya yet?"

"No, and I won't do so until it's absolutely necessary!"

"Hmm...I guess that will do," the voice replied. "I'm willing to make a down payment on that promise. Here's the Relic that you wanted so much."

A small black case slid out of the shadows and stopped near Mayumi's bed. She picked it up hesitantly.

"You're just giving it to me?"

"Not at all, darling. You paid for it with your life, remember? The day is coming when I will come to collect my payment. And after that, who knows? Maybe I'll give you more Relics to help."

"You have more of these?"

"I figured out how to make them. The one I gave you is what you needed right now. When you need others, we can strike another bargain."

"Wait, how'd you get in here?"

"I have a key," the voice said tauntingly. Just then, Mayumi's door opened, and Mayumi glimpsed a cloaked figure dart out of the doom.

"I'll never betray Tatsuya!" Mayumi shouted after the shadow. "Not for a million Relics!"

"We'll see about that!" came the reply.

Mayumi sat up in her bed and examined the case. Upon opening it and turning on the light, she saw another yin/yang shaped Relic, but, unlike the Magatama, this one was tinted a shade of cyan. Mayumi sighed, closed the box, and hid it under her bed before going back to sleep. _I'll just worry about that tomorrow..._ she thought.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Mr. Hayama, I've been notified that the home country will be sending us a warship. Thanks to your mistress, we can launch our next operation.

"The Yotsuba Family is glad to have been of service in that regard."

"The thing is, fortune deserted us and my second-in-command has disappeared. The government is being tight-lipped about his condition, so I'm assuming the worst."

"Truly, that could only have been the worst of luck."

"It's a colossal disgrace, and now our fight against the Mahesvara is going to be even harder."

Hayama took a sip of tea, saying nothing. Finally, Xiangshan relented.

"I wonder if you could help us out?"

"My mistress wouldn't necessarily agree to that," Hayama said, sadness etched into his face. "But I think I might be able to give you some tips on how to deal with him."

"Thank you, Mr. Hayama."

"You might be thinking to go after his family and friends, but that's a bad move and will only cost you your life. The Mahesvara is powerful, but he's no god. There are times when he is completely powerless to do anything."

"When would that be?"

"Why, when he's unconscious, of course!"

* * *

 **~October 29th, 2095~**

"Tatsuya, what time are you heading to the convention center tomorrow?" Erika asked.

"I'm meeting the others there at eight," he replied. "The competition starts at nine. And First High will be taking the stage at three."

"Hmm...you're meeting up there? What about the demo device?"

"The Student Council hired a transport company," Tatsuya said suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, uh, it's just..." Erika began, but Leo interrupted her.

"Listen, the guard detail for that demo device and stuff...could you let us help out, too?"

"That's fine with me," Tatsuya said, "but why would you want to go to all that trouble?"

"Uh, well, you see...uh...after all that special training, letting it just go to waste would be a shame..." Leo muttered to himself. "I can't say that, can I?"

"Oh, man!" Erika exclaimed, stealing back the spotlight. "I even ditched school to traian this guy's butt off! So wouldn't I look like an idiot if the incident got resolved without us? ...Oh!" Erika realized that she had said more than she intended.

"I don't know what it is you two are up to," Tatsuya said, "but, hypothetically, if this 'incident' you suspect is happening is far larger in scale than you know, you could end up getting hurt. I can't stop you from doing anything; though, if I had a say in choosing your course of action, I'd say cheering us on from the audience would be helpful enough."

"Huh?"

"You don't mean that, Tatsuya."

"Well, if there is some kind of incident," Tatsuya relented, "I guess no one will complain if the audience helps pick up the pieces."

"I see," Erika said. "It helps, huh?"

* * *

 **~Elsewhere at First High~**

"Mayumi, why are you avoiding your fiance?"

"I'm not avoiding him, Mari, I just don't want to talk to him right now."

"You're avoiding him."

"I am not!"

"Admit it, Mayumi. You're avoiding Tatsuya. Did he say something that hurt you again?"

"No, nothing like that," Mayumi said with a sigh. "I may have gone behind his back and made a deal in order to get my hands on a Relic."

"That's right...Sekimoto mentioned that Tatsuya has a Relic, right? What do you know about that?"

"Well, I don't really want to talk about that, but let's just say that we needed a second Relic to make our plans a reality."

"Why are you being so secretive, Mayumi? Is Tatsuya rubbing off on you?"

"No...well, maybe," she admitted. "The fact is that I got another Relic by promising to marry someone else."

"And you didn't tell Tatsuya about it," Mari sighed. "Well, the answer to that is easy: just deny that you made any promise and marry Tatsuya anyway. It's immoral, but it's what you want to do, right?"

"Right," Mayumi said. "And it's what I planned to do, as well, except that my promise was recorded. The lady said she'd play it at my wedding if I didn't marry her son."

"So now you can't face Tatsuya, knowing that at some point you're going to have to break off your engagement."

"Exactly," Mayumi said. "I'm trying to find a way out, but the woman keeps harassing me. She even broke into my room last night!"

"Wow," Mari said. "I mean, I know that it's scary, but it's also really impressive. This mysterious woman must be a great magician. What's her name?"

"...I don't know. She never said."

"What?" Mari was outraged. "You mean to say that you made a life-changing deal with someone, and you didn't even look them up to check their credibility?"

"She's proven to be credible. She's already delivered the Relic."

"That's beside the point, Mayumi! You never, ever make deals with someone you don't know! You're the ojou-sama of the Saegusa clan! You should know that!"

"I know, Mari!" Mayumi cried, breaking down in tears. "I wish I hadn't done it...I wish I'd found another way to get a Relic...but what's done is done. I can't go back now. I can only go forward, and hope that Tatsuya will forgive me."

"Mayumi..."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Oh, Masaki, I can't believe you're already on your way back! I can hardly wait to see you again!"

"What are you talking about, Miyuki?" Masaki replied with a gentle smile. "We were on a video call just a few hours ago. Have you forgotten already?"

"I mean in person, Masaki," Miyuki said with a smile. "I haven't seen you in person since you went back to Third High with Lina. How is she, by the way?"

Masaki looked over at the silent girl sitting next to him.

"She's fine. She's still getting over the shock of being kidnapped, but the doctors say there's nothing physically wrong with her. Speaking of getting over shock," Masaki said, "you seem to be doing better today. Have you finally come to terms with what you did?"

"In a way, yes," Miyuki replied. "I've been thinking about it a lot since Tatsuya and I got back, and last night I realized something: it was wrong of me to kill him, and I feel sorry for his family that I did, but death is just the next phase of life. That man would have died at some point anyway; all I did was help him along."

"That's...great, Miyuki," Masaki said with slight discomfort. "I'm glad you've...found a way to...rationalize...what you did... Just...remember that civillians are different from soldiers..."

"Are they really, though?" Miyuki asked. "We're all people who are going to die eventually, so why do we fear death at all? Why do we not just accept it?"

"Is this your way of saying that you want to die, Miyuki?"

"N-No," she stuttered. "I'm just saying-"

"I know what you're saying, my love," Masaki interrupted. "But do not forget the value of life."

"Hai."

* * *

 **~Later That Night~**

Fujibayashi Kyouko, in a well-fitting burgandy dress, was having a romantic dinner with Chiba Toshikazu.

"This smells divine," she said excitedly, holding a glass of wine up to her nose.

"I'm glad that you like it," Chiba replied nervously. "Thanks to you, it looks like we'll be closing this case soon. So this is my way of thanking you personally." Of course, it was slightly more than that, and Kyouko knew it.

"Inspector...did you invite me here today just to thank me?"

"Huh?"

"If you're available, I'd like to request your company tomorrow as well."

"Huh? Um...s-sure!" he said with a salute. "If you're okay with me, then I'd be glad to!"

"Thank you very much. Then how's eight-thirty tomorrow morning, at Sakuragicho Station?"

"What? Morning?"

"Tomorrow they'll be holding the National High School Magic Thesis Competition at the International Convention Center...did you not know?"

"No, I am aware of that, but..."

"And a boy I'm acquainted with will be taking part, so I'd like to go cheer him on. Oh, right, if possible, please ask your subordinates to join us, too."

Chiba was getting more and more confused as Kyouko went on.

"If you could also come equipped with weapons and live ammo guns, that would be a huge help."

"Ms. Fujibayashi, what's the plan?"

"Of course, I _hope_ that nothing happens."

* * *

 **~October 30th, 2095~**

Mayumi was looking around for Tatsuya at the Yokohama International Convention Center when she saw something she didn't expect. A woman in an extremely formal wine-colored dress walked in to the room designated as First High's meeting place...but what really stood out to Mayumi was the cloak that the woman had on. Pitch-black and darker than night - its resemblance to the cloak worn by her mysterious benefactor could not be understated. _That has to be her!_ Mayumi thought. _But why is she going in there? That room should be empty right now._

Glancing around to make sure no one was following her, Mayumi headed straight for the door.

Tatsuya was in a similar situation elsewhere; having been looking around for Mayumi so that they could finally talk about Merlin, he was shocked to instead see Merlin herself standing before him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, immediately suspicious of her presence.

"Have you forgotten already?" Merlin said with a smile. "I am the Regional Chairman of the Magic Association. Why would I not be here? Besides, we stil have much to discuss."

"I'm listening..."

"Why don't we move someplace quieter, where prying eyes won't be able to hear our conversation?"

Meanwhile, Mayumi had shut the door behind her and turned to face the woman, who was herself facing the far wall of the room, her back to Mayumi.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but this room is for First High students only, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to-"

"Mayumi."

 _It's the same voice,_ Mayumi thought.

"Have you already forgotten that I go wherever I like? Besides, why would I leave, when I so specifically drew your attention so that we could talk?"

"Wait, you knew I'd follow you?"

"I know a great many things, Mayumi, including the fact that you're too inquisititve for your own good. But enough about that. I want to give you a word of warning...I've come here many times, but something is different today. Be on your guard."

"All right," said Tatsuya after they had relocated to a back hall of the convention center. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well," began Merlin, "I thought I'd just answer any lingering questions that you have. Now that we're in an environment that is comfortable for you, of course."

"Well," Tatsuya said, not showing a hint of weakness, "let's begin with how you're standing before me right now."

"What do you mean?" asked Mayumi. "Be on my guard? Against whom?"

"I can't tell you that right now, but don't worry, I'm going to take care of the threat. You just have to stay alive until the end, so that you can marry my son."

"If that's the condition of my survival, I'd rather die," Mayumi said defiantly.

"Beating death is very easy when you have the right tools," Merlin replied. "After I made my DEM and remade the world, I simply made a new DEM - or CAD, I guess I should say - that would prevent me from aging."

Merlin paused to unbutton the collar of her shirt revealing a necklace with a green and gold yin/yang symbol on the attached pendant.

"Is that like your staff?" Tatsuya asked.

"Indeed," Merlin replied, "but don't get any ideas about taking it off. It's made from the strongest substances on Earth and is also strengthened with magic; there's no way that it's ever leaving my neck. Any other questions?"

"Don't be so foolish, Mayumi," the mysterious woman said. "You must live, no matter what."

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" Mayumi cried. "Please, I'm begging you...just let me go...undo our agreement, delete that video!"

"Now, why on Earth would I do that?" the woman replied. Mayumi could imagine the sadistic smile on her face. It scared her.

"What about your relationship to the Yotsuba?" asked Tatsuya. "You must be somehow connected to them, seeing as how you can wield Decomposition."

"We are connected, yes," admitted Merlin, "but the Yotsuba are no friends of mine. Just...former human lab rats, if that makes sense."

"You were a researcher at the Fourth Institute? The laboratory that created the Yotsuba?"

"Indeed. I wanted to see the fruits of my labor, and to see how advanced magic could get," Merlin replied. "Decomposition and Regrowth were two magics that I invented for myself. I took some of my own genes and inserted them manually into the Yotsuba bloodline, hoping that one day they'd reemerge."

"Why do that?"

"Having Regrowth and Decomposition would make a magician unparalleled in the magical community. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to watch what someone would do with that power?!"

"You mean I'm just some plaything to you?" Tatsuya asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Exactly," replied Merlin. "And, to be completely honest, you've been pretty responsible with your use of your power. That's kind of disappointing, but we can fix that."

"What do you mean, we can fix that?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Merlin said with a smile. "Any other questions?"

"Not at this time, no," Tatsuya replied.

"Mayumi, are you in here...?" Miyuki said as she opened the door to First High's meeting room. "I just saw Masaki, and he said you were headed-" She stopped mid-sentence as she saw who Mayumi was talking to; or, rather, she saw the wine-colored formal dress, and immediately recognized it.

"Mayumi, what are you doing with _her_?" Miyuki said with undisguised malice.

"Wait, you know this woman?" Mayumi said incredulously.

"If I didn't know her, I wouldn't be a very good niece, now would I?"

It took Mayumi a second to piece together what Miyuki had just said. When she realized who the mysterious woman really was, she whirled back around.

"You're Yotsuba Maya?!"

"Well, I guess this charade is up," Maya said, turning around to face the two First High students. "Hello, Miyuki. It's been awhile. I'm happy to hear you got engaged."

"You knew about that, oba-sama?" asked Miyuki incredulously.

"I know everything, Miyuki, as I'm sure Mayumi here can attest," replied Maya, turning to look at Mayumi. "It's nice to officially meet you, Ms. Saegusa."

Mayumi didn't say anything; she was still processing the situation.

"Mayumi? What does she mean?"

"Oh, Mayumi didn't tell you? Not surprising. She made a deal with me to get a Relic - without telling her precious fiancee either. Though, to be fair, she didn't know it was me she was dealing with."

"What deal did you make, Mayumi?" Miyuki asked, slightly scared of what the answer could be.

All of a sudden, Mayumi started laughing uncontrollably.

"It doesn't matter, does it?!" she replied. "In the end, my choice didn't affect Tatsuya at all! I was so scared that it would, but it doesn't!"

"Mayumi?"

"Ms. Yotsuba said she'd give me a Relic if I promised to marry her son. I did, intending to take back my promise once I had the Relic, but she said she recorded it and would play it at my wedding if I married anyone else. But she didn't tell me that she was Tatsuya's mother!" Mayumi was almost hysterical with relief.

"Is that true, oba-sama?" asked Miyuki.

"Of course it's true," she replied.

"But can't you see what it's done to Mayumi? Think of all the stress she was under! Have you no heart?"

"That was the entire point of the test, Miyuki," Maya said in an exasperated tone. "To see if she would act logically or emotionally, and also to see if she would try to trick me."

"But why, Ms. Yotsuba?" cried Mayumi. "Why did you have to put me through that?"

"First of all, please call me Maya," she said, to Miyuki's astonishment (no one ever called her Maya). "I wanted to know if you were truly the kind of person I thought you were, so that I would know if you were right for Tatsuya. There's nothing more to it."

"Is that why you separated Tatsuya and I?" asked Miyuki angrily. "Because I wasn't 'right' for him? So, instead, you instructed your underlings to raise me as a weapon, someone that kills without remorse?"

"Miyuki, I have a feeling that this is about more than my decision to adopt only Tatsuya," replied Maya. "Your actions the other day were yours alone, despite your Yotsuba training. When it comes down to it, you had a choice: to follow your training and do nothing so as to not draw attention to yourself, or to ignore your training and defend your brother's honor. You _chose_ the latter. Don't put that on me. As for my decision to separate you and Tatsuya, that was simply the result of trial and error over many cycles. Don't worry about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said - don't worry about it," Maya said sternly. "That's an order from the head of your family. I'm not going to repeat myself."

"Ms. Yotsuba - Maya," Mayumi interrupted, hysteria having turned into anger, "if you know about our engagements and Tatsuya's plans, why are you telling us? Does it mean you don't plan to let us leave?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Mayumi. Of course not."

"But you let the No Head Dragons interfere with the Nine Schools Competition, which almost killed both Miyuki and myself."

"That's right!" exclaimed Miyuki. "I had almost forgotten about that. Why would you do that, oba-sama?"

"Be quiet, both of you!" said Maya. The room darkened as pinpricks of light formed above their heads - this was Maya's unique magic, Meteor Stream, which earned her the fear of nearly everyone she met. "Just because I have provided some answeres does not mean you have the right to question my decisions, nor to blame me for things which were the direct responsibility of someone else. I have been casual with the both of you...with Miyuki, because you're my niece, and with Mayumi, because you'll be my daughter-in-law someday soon. But neither of those things change the fact that I am Yotsuba Maya, Queen of the Night and Demon King of the Far East, and you will respect my authority!"

She sighed, and the pinpricks of light vanished as the room returned to its normal illumination.

"I do understand your reservations, though...that was all a distraction, of sorts, to draw attention away from my other ventures. As for the involvment of you two, well, that created the most drama."

"I don't understand, oba-sama."

"That doesn't matter, Miyuki," Maya replied. "What matters is that, after a long time of plotting and preparing, I think the day of my victory is close at hand."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Sekimoto and Hirakawa's sister were after the Thesis Competition materials," Hattori reported. "Today, after interrogating Sekimoto further, we learned that the organization using them to target the Thesis Competition might take drastic measures. Security wants you to keep a close watch on the site, sir."

"Understood," Jumonji replied. "Hattori and Kirihara, I want you to monitor the perimeter of the convention center."

"Understood!" they said in unison as they started to leave.

"Hattori, Kirihara...is there anything about the current situation that feels off to you?"

"Feels off to us?" Kirihara asked.

"Last week, I came here to case the joint," replied Hattori. "There seem to be too many foreigners around here now."

"You think so, too, Hattori?" said Jumonji. "What about you, Kirihara?"

"Yes, sir. Compared to the convention center, the atmosphere in the city seems more strangely menacing."

"Hmm...true," Jumonji said, scratching his nose in thought. "Hattori, Kirihara, I want you to wear bulletproof vests."

"Understood," they again said in unison.

Jumonji picked up the microphone for the conference center's loudspeaker system.

"This is Jumonji of First High. I'm notifying the Joint Security Detail. Starting this afternoon, all members are to wear bulletproof vests. Repeat...you are to patrol the site wearing bulletproof vests."

* * *

 **~First High's Meeting Room~**

"The day of your victory?" asked Miyuki. "Does that mean there's no hope for Tatsuya's conflict?"

"Anyone, in this world of magic, can do anything they want as long as they put their mind to it," Maya replied cryptically. "Whether I win, or Tatsuya wins, or neither of us win, that concept will never change."

"You told me you learned how to make Relics," Mayumi said. "Was that true?"

"Indeed. Relics are - well, they're extraordinary - but they're basically just a silicon-based biocomputer. Genetically-engineered brains that use silicon as a base instead of carbon. Once I figured that much out, I left the rest to the scientists."

Just then, the room's intercom crackled to life.

"...repeat, you are to patrol the site wearing bulletproof vests..."

"It's starting," Maya said ominously. "We don't have much time left before First High's presentation starts. I've got to go."

"Go where, oba-sama?" asked Miyuki.

"Why, hunting, of course! I've got a tombstone back at the mansion with Merlin's name on it. Oh, and girls? Don't tell Tatsuya that we met. I want him to do things of his own volition, not in reaction to anything like this."

"Fine," said Miyuki reluctantly. "Wait - did you say Merlin?"

"Never mind that," said Maya quickly. "How about you, Mayumi?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Maya," said Mayumi. "You already got me to lie to Tatsuya once. I'm not going to do that again."

"Oh? But you never actually denied the truth, did you?"

"A lie of omission is still a lie," Mayumi said. "Maybe I'm okay with that in order to manipulate people, like my father does, but I don't want to have that kind of relationship with Tatsuya."

"So naive," sighed Maya. "I remember when I still had those thoughts. Then I went to Dahan. Well, Mayumi, I hope your relationship with Tatsuya works out like you hope it will. I'll respect your decision, but in return, you have to admit to Tatsuya that you were willing to forsake him for the greater good."

"Fair enough."

"In that case, I'll be on my way, then."

Maya walked to the door and opened it, but paused before leaving.

"It really was nice to meet you, Mayumi. I look forward to having you over for tea sometime so that we can talk."

"O-Okay," Mayumi stuttered - kindness, after all, was not to be expected from Yotsuba Maya.

Miyuki waited until she was sure Maya couldn't hear before speaking again.

"Mayumi...what are we going to do? She knows all of our plans, but she doesn't seem to care...that can only mean one thing: she has a plan of her own up her sleeve, and she's sure that it will work."

"That's a scary thought," Mayumi replied. "Honestly? I don't know. She didn't seem opposed to the engagements, which doesn't make much sense. And what was that spell back there?"

"Meteor Stream," replied Miyuki dejectedly. "It's a Convergence-type spell that controls the redistribution of light in an area. Basically, she gathered all the light in the room into those little balls...if she had used it, the light would have been transferred to some other location while maintaining its amount of energy and orientation. In other words, any non-gaseous object which is in the way of the beam of light would be pierced, no matter what the substance was. Nothing can block against it."

"So that's Meteor Stream," Mayumi said. "I'd heard it was deadly, but that sounds even deadlier than Tatsuya's secret spell that he's been developing."

"It is more dangerous in a confined space, but at a distance, Tatsuya can defeat anyone."

"I guess that's his plan, then? Snipe the Yotsuba one-by-one?"

"I don't know, Mayumi," replied Miyuki. "He's hardly said a word to me about his plans. I think he's going to talk it over with Masaki and Jumonji after the competition."

"Also, what did she say about Merlin? Tatsuya only briefly mentioned that you guys had met her. He was going to tell me about it today, but I haven't seen him yet."

"I think she said she was hunting Merlin," Miyuki said. "I don't really know much about Merlin, however, because Tatsuya wanted to leave as soon as he had the pendant."

"Oh."

They stood there silently for a minute, trying to wrap their heads around what just happened and what it meant for the future of their relationships. Though neither would admit to it, both Mayumi and Miyuki were worrying about whether they might be widowed before they were even married.

"I think the competition is starting soon, Mayumi."

"Oh, right. We should go support Tatsuya."

* * *

 **~That Afternoon~**

All of First High was in attendance, seeing as how they were located close to the competition venue, but a lot of students from the other Magic University Affiliated high schools were present as well. Tatsuya's friends had gotten there early in order to get good seats and, by Erika and Leo's insistance, scope out the place for danger. On their way in, Erika had seen something funny...her brother Toshikazu standing next to a gorgeous woman, with the squad of police officers behind them looking like they wanted to murder Toshikazu out of envy. Erika made an extra effort to avoid her brother, but she also made a mental note to tease Toshikazu about his "date" later.

"Mikihiko...how's it looking?" Leo asked as the First High presentation was about to start.

"For now, there's nothing amiss."

"What about you, Mizuki?" asked Erika.

"I'm not seeing anything weird yet."

The lights in the auditorium went down, and an announcer spoke over the microphone.

"First High School. Their theme is Gravity Control-type Thermonuclear Reactor. Allotted time: thirty minutes."

The lights came back on, and Ichihara Suzune took a deep breath before beginning the presentation.

"What is required to actualize nuclear power? The answer has already been made clear in the previous century."

She pressed a button, and a reaction occured in the first presentation device.

"First, to convert the hydrogen serving as fuel into plasma, sufficient time to allow for a fusion reaction generating enough heat, and to sustain that reaction. As you can see, this issue has already been resolved through Release-type Magic. The other challenge is bringing these atomic nuclei into contact despite electrical repulsion. However, no effective method of addressing this issue has been found, and we have yet to actualize a stable nuclear fusion reaction. The reasons are many, but a case can be made that all of these issues focus on the fact that the electric repulsive force within fusing range cannot be overcome by the energy being extracted."

As Suzune was talking, semi trucks loaded with bipedal tanks left a ship on the pier and quietly dispersed themselves around Yokohama.

"We're in position," reported a lieutenant on the ship.

"We'll be setting our plan in motion as scheduled," replied the captain.

"As the distance closes between them, the electric repulsive force increases exponentially," Suzune continued as Isori Kei activated the second presentation device. "When objects possessing strong Coulomb forces of like charges draw closer, the repulsive interaction increases, making it impossible for them to collide. However..." she said, pressing a button on her tablet and changing the display, "it is possible to reduce the electric repulsive force through magic. This year, we have succeeded in developing a magic sequence that will reduce the apparent Coulimb force within a restricted area to one-one hundred thousandth."

The second device was lifted off the stage and a third was brought up from beneath the floor.

"Without an external impetus, a nuclear reaction will immediately come to a standstill. Our school's Gravity Control-type Thermonuclear Reactor takes advantage of this. Once the reaction stops, it cools the hydrogen gas through a Vibration-type spell to a level that the container can withstand. At this time, it allocates the heat it has collected to Gravity Control and Coulomb Control energy. Through Gravity Control-type Magic, the pistons continue to rise due to inertial energy and the hydrogen gas, now cooled to optimum levels, is sent to a heat sink tank. At this time, a highly-ranked magician is required to keep this experimental device operating, but with improved efficiency in energy retrieval, and by using Release-type Magic as a substitution, we are confident that a Gravity Control-type Thermonuclear Reactor requiring a magician only for the initial activation can be actualized."

Their presentation was met with much applause, and as the house lights came back on, the announcer spoke again.

"We will now take a ten-minute break. Third High School's presentaion will start at 3:40."

As Tatsuya walked off the stage, he was met by Lina. She looked him straight in the eyes, but didn't speak for a while.

 _Target, track, terminate._

"I hear you rescue me," she eventually said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tatsuya responded. "I just did what I hope anyone would do for me."

 _Target, track, terminate._

"We'll see," she said.

Just then, an explosion rocked the building, startling both Tatsuya and Lina.

"What was that?!"

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"Did you have a good trip, my lady?"

"Why, the fun's just getting started, Hayama! Ready the family to deploy in Yokohama. We're about to remind the Great Asian Alliance of the Yotsuba name."

"Yes, my lady. Will there be anything else?"

"Schedule a time for Saegusa Mayumi to come have tea. Sometime in the next month. And get an engagement present as well."

"My lady, you're not seriously endorsing this marriage, are you?"

"Who else is with you, Hayama?"

"Just Shirakawa, my lady."

"Give the phone to him."

There was silence for a second.

"This is Shirakawa, my lady."

"Congratulations. You've been promoted, but on one condition: execute Hayama for treason."

"Yes, my lady. Thank you."


	24. Yokohama Disturbance Part 6

**[Episode 24: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 6]**

A truck was heading straight for the Control Tower of Yamashita Harbor in Yokohama; it had no driver, and its cargo was extremely volatile. It crashed through the main gate and went up the steps to the tower...when it reached the main structure, it exploded, disabling the operations of the Control Tower.

Two minutes later, Chiba Toshikazu's cell phone rang.

"This is Chiba. ... What? ... The Control Building, right? ... Gotcha ... I'm on my way!"

He turned to Fujibayashi Kyouko.

"I must head to the site."

"I'll be staying here."

There was no time for flirtatious small talk at the moment. Well, not much.

"If you need me...give me a call."

And with that, they both walked away from the restaurant where they had been enjoying a cup of tea. When Chiba got in his car, he immediately got in communication with Inagaki.

"What's the situation?"

"A self-detonating car crashed into the building and it's still burning. Currently, we're engaged in battle! There haven't been any additional assaults, but there's a delay in evacuating the civilian staff! Wait - rockets have been fired from the moored ship! It appears to be a landing craft disguised as a cargo ship!"

Toshikazu hung up and quickly dialed another number; the name on the screen read Chiba Honke.

"Is that you, Father? Toshikazu here. We're currently under attack at Yokohama Yamashita Pier by a camouflaged landing craft. I need you to request mobilization of the JSDF! Also...send over my Ikazuchimaru, and Orochimaru for Erika!"

* * *

 **~Meanwhile, in the Convention Center~**

After the initial explosion, many more smaller ones followed. The students in attendance were looking around frantically, trying to figure out what was going on; only Tatsuya, however, actually had a grasp on the situation.

"Miyuki! Mayumi!" Tatsuya cried as he jumped down from the stage, Lina behind him.

"We're here!" said Mayumi, rushing over to them. "What on earth could this be?"

"The way it's vibrating, it must be a grenade," Tatsuya replied. "And it exploded...most likely near the front entrance."

"What about Masaki?" asked Miyuki. "Is he safe?"

"He's the scion of the Ichijou and the Crimson Prince," replied Tatsuya assuringly. "Plus, there are professional magicians with combat experience on the security team. Your typical criminal organization wouldn't stand a chance..."

"...but this doesn't feel like the work of your typical criminal organization, does it, Tatsuya?" said Lina. "It's too coordinated, and that explosion earlier felt too big to be a grenade."

"I agree," said Mayumi. "This is giving me deja vu to the Blanche incident. Oh, and Tatsuya, we saw..." Mayumi didn't get the chance to say that they had seen Yotsuba Maya there earlier, as the doors to the auditorium burst open and three squadrons of soldiers stormed the Thesis Competition venue; one squadron went around the audience seats, demanding at gunpoint that everyone place their CADs on the ground. The other two squadrons surrounded Tatsuya, Mayumi, Miyuki, and Lina. They drew their weapons - large railgun rifles, specifically designed to kill magicians - and pointed them at the foursome...though, to be fair, they were mostly pointed at Tatsuya.

"Mahesvara! Place all of your CADs on the ground and kneel down with your hands above your head! If you don't, these pretty ladies here will die!"

 _So they think he's the Mahesvara too,_ Lina thought. _Is it possible that he's both Taurus Silver and the Mahesvara? No, it can't be...can it?_

Tatsuya, glaring at the leader of the group, reluctantly obliged. With one hand in the air, he withdrew a Silver Horn from his shoulder holster and laid it on the ground. Switching hands, he withdrew the other Silver Horn and laid it next to its counterpart. He then knelt down slowly and placed his hands behind his head.

Mayumi, Miyuki, and Lina watched in horror as the soldiers' captain walked behind Tatsuya and pointed his rifle at Tatsuya's head, intending to kill him execution-style.

"This is for Okinawa, Mahesvara!"

"You think I'm defenseless because you assumed I needed a CAD to use magic," Tatsuya replied. "How naive."

"Quiet, Mahesvara!"

"No," Tatsuya said with an ominous smile, " _you_ be quiet."

He snapped his fingers, and the captain disolved into dust in a tongue of blue flame. Tatsuya stood up, the rifles still trained on him; their operators, however were quaking with fear, for at some primeval level they were aware that they had just woken the sleeping giant of Shiba Tatsuya.

"Shoot him!" someone cried out of fear. This was all that was needed to set them off.

The soldiers opened fire on Tatsuya, shooting stream after stream of bullets at him from point-blank range. When the clicking of the guns indicated they had run out of bullets, the soldiers looked through the smoky blue haze and saw Tatsuya standing there, seemingly unharmed thanks to his Contact-type Decomposition.

Tatsuya looked up, his eyes aflame with anticipation.

"You've wasted yor bullets. I hope that made you feel better. Now it's my turn."

Suddenly, Tatsuya was behind the soldier closest to him - thanks to his ninjutsu, he moved too fast for the eye to see - and he punched his arm completely through the man's chest, ripping his heart out from behind. The man crumpled to the ground next to Mayumi, who looked on in shock and awe.

By now, the more attentive soldiers had reloaded their guns and fired upon Tatsuya once more, again to no effect. Without the smoky haze that had resulted from the previous gunfire, the soldiers could more clearly see what was happening: the bullets they fired were disintegrating in a puff of blue smoke as soon as they hit Tatsuya. When the soldiers stopped to reload again, Tatsuya made his move: he engaged the men closest to him in hand-to-hand combat and swiftly defeated them, severing many limbs and spilling a lot of blood in the process. His First High uniform, once white and green, was now stained red with the blood of his enemies.

Tatsuya bent down to pick up his Silver Horns, taking a spare clip from his pocket and attaching a silver bayonet to the barrel of the CAD.

"I didn't want to have to introduce this in live combat," Tatsuya said, "but, frankly, I want this to be over as soon as possible."

Without saying another word, he quickly killed the rest of the men surrounding the foursome with his Baryon Lance, a spell that turned the atoms of the steel protrusion into baryons and then shot them at the target, essentially creating a bullet that was just slightly slower than the speed of light and could not be blocked. Tatsuya would then use Regrowth to return the atoms of the bayonet to their original position, erasing all evidence of what happened.

There was still one squadron of soldiers left, however, and they all turned and pointed their guns at Tatsuya - not a smart move, as this left their backs undefended, and Tatsuya's bravery had inspired other students to fight back against the terrorists, and they performed spectacularly. In no time at all, the assailants had been apprehended and restrained near the stage of the convention center.

"Tatsuya!" Honoka cried, running towards the foursome. "All that gunfire...you're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm all right."

Mayumi and Lina narrowed their eyes as this comment commanded their attention to the fact that those soldiers had called Tatsuya "Mahesvara." The Demon of Okinawa. The Strategic-class magician who devastated the Great Asian Alliance's fleet three years ago but who had since disappeared. No matter how Tatsuya tried to explain it, the fact that someone had cause enough to believe him to be such a powerful warrior as to send two entire squadrons of troops to subdue him was undeniable.

"Thank goodness!" Mizuki said as the rest of Tatsuya's group joined them.

"What are we going to do now?" Erika asked, anxious to join the fight.

"The magicians on guard duty are still battling the intruders at the front entrance," Tatsuya replied. "They're about to be overwhelmed. Even if we're going to make a run for it, our first order of business should be to wipe them out."

"I'm heading over alone, so you guys wait here...you wouldn't say anything like that, would you?" Erika asked, mocking Tatsuya.

Tatsuya realized that his friends were going to tag along whether he liked it or not.

"I guess that's better than getting assaulted after we've split up?" he relented.

"Tatsuya..." Mayumi said, looking over at the remaining First High students. Tatsuya immediately understood her feelings; she was protective of her school.

"Go," he said. "Protect them like no one else can."

"Hai."

Mayumi left, and the group started to leave.

"Wait!" cried Line. "Hold on a second, Shiba Tatsuya! Are we all just going to ignore how you used magic without a CAD just now? That would make you a Supernatural Power User, someone who can affect the Idea Dimension through will alone!"

"Ms. Shields," Tatsuya said sternly, "I advise you to watch what you say. That is, unless you aren't _serious_ about coming with us."

 _He has to know who I am!_ Lina thought. _But does that mean he actually_ is _the Mahesvara?_

"No, I'll come with you," she said, "just as long as you tell me what that spell you used was called. It looked somewhat like Molecular Divider, invented by former STARS commander Major William Sirius...but not only is that technique top-secret, it's also not what you used, though any normal magician could be forgiven for confusing the two."

"And just how is it that you are so familiar with the combat magic of STARS as to be able to differentiate it from my spell?" Tatsuya asked in return. "Is it, by any chance, that you yourself are a member of STARS?"

 _Darn! I messed up...well, he knows for certain, now..._

"W-Well, what if I was?" Lina stuttered. "What would you do about it?"

"I'd arrest you for being a foreign spy," Tatsuya replied coldly. "For the USNA to send an operative here under the pretense of being a student...that's clearly an act of international espionage."

"O-Oh..."

"But, seeing as how it's preposterous for a high school girl to be in a superpower's elite magical forces, I'll overlook your comment," Tatsuya continued. "I suggest you also overlook what you saw here."

"V-Very well, Shiba...I think I'll stay here and support Ms. Saegusa, then..."

"That is your prerogative, Ms. Shields."

Outside the Conference Center, a mass evacuation of the Yokohama area was being conducted. Policemen were directing civilians away from the areas of conflict while fighting back against the terrorist force, but the enemy was powerful, coordinated, and well-armed. The rumblings from thrown grenades could be felt even within the Conference Center, where students were looking around anxiously.

"A-chan?"

Azusa watched as dust fell from the trembling roof.

"A-chan?"

She still didn't notice Mayumi trying to call her.

"Student Council President Azusa Nakajo!"

This finally got her attention.

"Y-Yes?"

"At this rate, everyone might start to panic," Mayumi said. "People might even get hurt. So...use your magic to calm everyone down."

"What? But...that's..."

"Isn't your power tailor-made for situations like this? It's not my power, nor Mari's power, nor Suzune's power...Azusa, right now your power is what we need."

Azusa looked stressed.

"Don't worry!" Mayumi continued. "I'll take responsibility for this. I'm not a Saegusa for nothing!"

This strengthened Azusa's resolve. She pulled a small necklace CAD out from beneath her shirt and clutched it tightly between both hands. A Magic Sequence activated as Azusa raised her hands, a Psion recurve bow forming between them. She pulled back on the drawstring and let go - an arrow of light shot into the air, then exploded, sending out waves of peaceful relaxation to the entire student audience. Mayumi took advantage of the stillness that was created and jumped onto the stage.

"Everybody, I'm the former student council president of First High School, Saegusa Mayumi. As a member of the Ten Master Clans, I will now relay to you what information I have at the moment. This city is now under attack by an unidentified ship, as well as by a terrorist group that had been lurking in the city. This venue also appears to be a target. An underground tunnel connects this hall to a shelter in the station. However, we can't be too optimistic about how long that shelter can withstand an assault by ground troops.

"A rescue ship is reportedly making its way to the Mizuho Pier, but it would be extremely dangerous to head toward the docks amid heavy artillery fire. That said, the most dangerous choice of all would be to stay right here. If you're evacuating to the shelter, please take the tunnel. If you're thinking of fleeing, please head to the Mizuho Pier. Please take action as soon as possible!"

The students quickly began following Mayumi's advice, congregating into groups and lines according to the direction of their individual leaders.

"A-chan?" Mayumi said, getting Azusa's attention again. "I'm leaving everyone in your care."

"Huh? Chair - I mean, Ms. Mayumi?"

"Ah, so you do realize it, after all. That's right, you're First High's student council president now. You'll be fine - you can do it!"

Meanwhile, a fierce battle was raging upstairs. The combat magicians of the Conference Center's security team were holding back an onslaught of terrorist soldiers by the skin of their teeth, but just barely. One slip-up and they'd all be dead. This was the scene to which Tatsuya and his friends arrived; Tatsuya, peeking from around a corner, observed as the forces outside prepared to take the Conference Center in an all-out assault.

Leo walked in front of Tatsuya, intending to fight the soldiers head-on. Tatsuya grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back, throwing him to the ground.

"The enemy is using anti-magician high-speed bullets," Tatsuya said coldly.

"Tatsuya...you're merciless," Miki replied.

"But thanks to him, Leo's been spared," Shizuku commented.

"Miyuki, could you silence the enemy's gunfire?" Tatsuya asked.

"I can, but in order to deal with so many at once, I'll need you to tell me where they are..."

"I know," Tatsuya replied, extending his hand to her while simultaneously using Elemental Sight and Psion Transfer, allowing Miyuki to see into the Idea Dimension and spot her targets.

Miyuki withdrew her hand from Tatsuya's and waved it over the target area, casting Cocytus - her unique magic, the spell she used to kill Tatsuya's heckler a few days ago - on all of the soldiers threatening the Conference Center, except for one. Miyuki left a single soldier alive to witness all of his comrades drop dead at the exact same moment.

"Know this!" she yelled. "Whoever threatens my friends and my family will be destroyed! Give your commander this message, and be thankful I spared your life."

"M-Miyuki..." Erika said, a little aghast, "you've certainly...changed your attitude on killing people recently..."

But, knowing Erika, she didn't wait long to get mad at Miyuki.

"Wait, if you could do that, why didn't you stop the soldiers when they first busted down the door? You could have saved everyone a lot of time and trouble, you know!"

"I, like Tatsuya, try not to reveal my powers publicly," Miyuki admitted. "I only did this now because Tatsuya requested I do so."

"Ah, so you have a brother complex, then?"

"You're one to talk, Erika! Or should I mention Chiba Naotsugu?"

"Miyuki, Erika - calm down," said Tatsuya. "And, for the record, I only requested that you stop their guns from working."

"You wanted me to make the gunfire stop," Miyuki said defensively. "I did that, and in the simplest and quickest way possible. What's wrong with that?"

"Miyuki, you killed them," Leo said as he stood back up. "I'm not saying you were wrong to do so - any of us would have done the same, I'm sure - but you're still recovering from the last time you killed someone. Maybe you should have let Tatsuya handle it? ...Darn! I missed the action again!"

The group broke out in laughter as Leo realized he still hadn't used Erika's special training in combat.

"I really don't understand why you're all making such a big deal," Miyuki said quietly. "Death is just another part of life. I just gave it to them a little early, that's all. I'm sorry if that was a little too much for you all."

"Miyuki, you're scaring me..." Honoka muttered.

"Well, it appears there's no talking her out of it," Leo said. "So, in that case, what's the plan now?"

"We need more intel," Tatsuya replied. "I have an idea of what's going on, but we need specifics if we're going to be able to work effectively. If we try to wing it, we could end up mired in a dire situation."

"In that case, why don't you use the VIP conference room?" asked Shizuku. "That's where they hold meetings for politicians and economic groups, so you should be able to access all kinds of information."

"I can't believe you know about a room like that," said Erika.

"My father once brought me here," explained Shizuku, "so I know the security key and access code, too."

"I'd like to take you up on that, Shizuku," Tatsuya said after a moment of deliberation.

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Shizuku entered the access code into the terminal and brought up a map of Yokohama on the display in the VIP conference room. Twelve red-and-black dots appeared on the map with light red circles emanating from them, representing points of conflict and the areas affected by the conflict.

"Whoa! What's this?" exclaimed Erika.

"That's beyond messed up..." lamented Leo.

"The situation is indeed quite dire," confirmed Tatsuya. "If we loiter here too long, we'll probably be captured by the enemy. But even if we tried to escape, there's no viable transportation."

"Tatsuya, you and Miyuki could easily take down a battalion each by yourselves," remarked Leo. "What do you mean, we'll probably be captured by the enemy?"

"Taking down a battalion is easy if you have nothing to lose," replied Tatsuya, "but I can't fight and protect all of you at the same time. Right now, I'm choosing to protect my friends so that we can live to fight another day."

"Then should we evacuate to the shelter?" asked Mikihiko.

"That's probably the most realistic option," replied Tatsuya.

"Okay, so it's the underground passage, right?" said Erika, looking at the map.

"No, let's go from aboveground," replied Tatsuya, pointing to an entrance to the underground tunnel that was in the middle of a conflict zone. "Also, I'd like a little time before we head over."

"Huh?" asked Honoka. "Why is that?"

"I want to destroy the demo devices," Tatsuya said solemnly.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

Tatsuya and his gang opened the door to the backstage storage area of the Yokohama International Convention Center to find a group of First High students - including Mayumi - already beginning to destroy sensitive materials.

"I see we had the same idea, Mayumi," Tatsuya said with a smile to his secret fiancee.

"Rin wanted to delete the data in case of theft," Mayumi replied, returning Tatsuya's smile. "And as for us, well, we can't just run off and leave you behind, can we?"

"Shiba? Saegusa?" Jumonji said, entering the room from one of the other doors, flanked by guardsmen. "Good, you're both here. Can we agree that this was the action for which we were waiting?"

"I agree," added Mayumi. "This seems like it's related to our investigations, Tatsuya."

"Indeed," he replied, to the confusion of everyone else present except for Miyuki. "It seems that we have lost the element of surprise, but the battle is just beginning. Speaking of battles, did we send any students through the underground tunnels?"

"Yes," replied Mayumi, "A-chan is leading a group of them, along with Ms. Shields. Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just a little concerned, that's all," replied Tatsuya. "Since the underground tunnel isn't a direct route, it's possible that they may run into other groups."

"In other words, an encounter battle?" mused Hattori.

"If that happens, they could very well be forced into a head-on clash underground," continued Tatsuya.

"Hattori, Sawaki - go after Nakajo right now!" Jumonji commanded. "I'm going to patrol the area one more time to make sure there are no more stragglers. When we meet again, let's discuss strategy for our next moves, Shiba."

"Yes, let's."

"Shiba," said Isori Kei, "can I ask you to take care of the devices left in the other room?"

Tatsuya nodded.

"When we're done, let's meet up in the prep room," said Mari. "We can decide on our next move from there."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"That's an order. Now carry it out."

"Roger."

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Now, then," said Mari, "about our next move..."

"Only one enemy ship has invaded the harbor," observed Mayumi. "The area around the shore is more or less under enemy control. Ground transportation's completely paralyzed as well...I'm thinking that might be the work of the guerillas."

"What could they be after?" wondered Kei.

"The fact that they've targeted Yokohama means they must be after something that they'll only find here," mused Mayumi, "although, strictly speaking, there's one in Kyoto, as well..."

"The Magic Association branch office!" exclaimed Kanon.

"To be precise, they're probably after the Magic Association's main database," replied Mayumi. "All the crucial data is being centrally managed in Kyoto and Yokohama. But that begs the question...what was so important that it was worth sending multiple squads of guerilla soldiers here, when those troops would be more valuable beseiging the Magic Association?"

All eyes turned on Tatsuya.

"They did call you Mahesvara, after all," Kei said. "Which, now that I think of it, matches with what Hirakawa Chiaki said about you. She called you a god and said you weren't bound by our laws..."

"And you did use magic without a CAD," Mari said suspiciously. "If that's equivalent to 'not being bound by our laws,' then if you _are_ the Mahesvara, Ms. Hirakawa's suspicions would be correct...is there anything you care to tell us, Shiba?"

"Hey, hey," Mayumi said, trying to control the conversation. "Let's not get caught up in unimportant things, okay?"

"No, Mayumi," Mari said angrily. "I know he's your fiance and all, but if he's the cause of all this trouble, then he should at least be honest with us...oh, whoops...I'm sorry, Mayumi, I didn't mean to..."

There was an audible gasp in the room when Mari said 'fiance,' and for good reason, too, considering how almost no one there was aware of the relationship between Mayumi and Tatsuya. Sayaka, Kirihara, Erika, Leo, Suzune, Mikihiko, Mizuki, Honoka, Shizuku, Kanon, and Kei were all shocked, both by the revelation itself and the fact that neither Tatsuya nor Mayumi trusted any of them with that secret. There was also a slight amount of sadness on the part of Honoka and Shizuku, but they were so good at hiding it that only Tatsuya could tell.

"Mari..." Mayumi said angrily, "do you know how hard we've worked to keep that secret? Though, I guess it doesn't matter much, anyway, given the situation we're in."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," said Erika, being the first of the group to regain her senses. "You mean to say that the two of you are actually engaged, like, marriage-engaged? And you didn't tell us? And you didn't invite us to your engagement party?"

"We didn't tell anyone, Erika, so you don't have to feel left out," Tatsuya said. "Well, anyone outside the Ten Master Clans. Trust me, it'll make sense when this is all over."

"Tatsuya," Leo said, putting his hand on Tatsuya's shoulder, "you're still one of my closest friends, but right now might not be the time to say 'trust me,' okay?"

"Whaddya know, the idiot actually said something smart for once."

"Why, you...!"

"Excuse me," Suzune said, breaking up the imminent fight between Erika and Leo. "We obviously have a lot to discuss, but as for Ms. Nakajo and the others, who headed for the shelter, unfortunately it seems that Shiba's concerns were dead-on. However, since the enemy force is small, they should be able to drive them away soon, according to Hattori."

"Thank you for the update, Rin," Mayumi said, collecting herself. "Now, unless anyone has anything important to say, we need to think of a way to get us all out of here. We can talk about _other things_ once everyone is safe."

"I agree," said Mari. "Didn't I hear something about a rescue ship being on its way?"

"It's still a few minutes out, but it doesn't look like it has the capacity for this number of people," Mayumi responded.

"Wouldn't that leave our only option to be evacuation to the shelter?"

"That is an option, certainly, but it is not our only option," replied Mayumi. "Though, I think we should wait for Jumonji to get here before talking about what I perceive to be an alternate path." She glanced at Tatsuya and gave him a knowing look; he intepreted it to mean that she wanted to take the fight directly to the Yotsuba and bypass the Yokohama incident altogether.

 _But that will have to wait,_ he thought, as he noticed something with his Elemental Sight. A large truck was barreling towards the conference center, dead set on a collision course.

"Tatsuya?" Miyuki asked, noticing her brother staring at what appeared to be a blank wall.

Tatsuya raised his CAD and pointed it at the wall.

"Tatsuya!" Mayumi said, activating her Multi-Scope spell to see what Tatsuya was looking at. She saw the truck just as it was about to hit the building; to her surprise, it disappeared in the same puff of blue smoke that had consumed the soldiers.

To everyone else, however, it just looked like Tatsuya cast a malfunctioning spell at a wall.

"Tatsuya...what was that?" Mayumi asked hesitantly.

Tatsuya tried to avoid making eye contact with her, as otherwise she would be able to immediately tell that he was keeping something from her. Well, something other than his status as the Mahesvara. But he wasn't able to avoid her gaze for long, and she read the look in his eyes all too easily. But she didn't have time to confront him about it, for just then, the door to First High's prep room burst open and in strode Fujibayashi Kyouko.

"Hey, you're that woman I saw with Tatsuya at the Nine Schools Competition!" Mayumi exclaimed, temporarily distracted from Tatsuya's mysterious skills.

"Indeed!" Kyouko replied. "I'm sorry that it had to be under these dire circumstances, but it's nice to meet you, Ms. Saegusa Mayumi. I am Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi Kyouko of the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.

Outside the conference center, Jumonji watched as rockets were launched from the moored ship in his direction. He cast Phalanx in order to stop them, but they were destroyed by a different spell before his Phalanx did any damage.

"Supersonic Launcher..." he mused as a olive-drab military humvee drove up and stopped near him. "Are you with 101?"

"JSDF 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, Captain, Sanada Shigeru," the gunner replied, introducing himself and confirming Jumonji's suspicion. "To think that you knew of us...as expected of the head of the Jumonji clan. I am impressed! Excuse me...we should both probably abstain from such gratuitous chatter."

"Actually, you should excuse me," Jumonji replied.

"Now, then, heir apparent of the Jumonji clan, please come this way."

Back in First High's prep room, Major Kazama walked slowly but surely as he made his way to the center of the room, standing beside Fujibayashi. In any other situation, Tatsuya would have saluted immediately; due to the presence of his classmates, however, his actions were restricted...or so he thought.

"Special Officer," Kyouko said, addressing Tatsuya by rank, "information control has been temporarily disabled."

There was no avoiding it now. Tatsuya saluted the Major, revealing to everyone that he was a part of the 101-IMEB...something that he had kept secret from everyone, even Mayumi, due to the military's strict information control.

Jumonji walked in and saw Tatsuya saluting a man in a military uniform.

"Shiba?"

"I'm Major Kazama Harunobu of the JSDF," the man said.

"So you're that Major Kazama, then?" Jumonji replied. "I'm the acting Master Clan Conference representative for the Jumonji clan, Jumonji Katsuto."

Kazama nodded, then turned to Tatsuya, indicating that Tatsuya could release his salute.

"Fujibayashi, give him the rundown on the current situation."

"Hai," she replied, accessing secure military information on the display. "At this time, our forces stationed at Hodogaya are battling the invaders. We also have one battalion each from Tsurumi and Fujisawa rushing to this site. The Kanto Branch of the Magic Association has taken a defensive position on its own."

"Good job," Kazama said. "All right, Special Officer. In light of these special circumstances, our battalion, which had been on its way to Hodogaya on a separate mission, has just been ordered to add our support to the defense. In accordance with JSDF special assignment regulations, I'm hereby ordering you to mobilize as well!"

This caught everyone off guard...they had assumed that Tatsuya's involvement with the 101 was intellectual, as a researcher or developer, not as a soldier!

"The JSDF requests that this special officer's rank remains confidential," Kazama continued. "Please be aware that this is based on the JSDF's secrecy protection law. I hope you understand."

"Special Officer?" said Captain Sanada. "We have the Mobile Suit you designed ready for you in our trailer."

"Major," said Mari, "before you dismiss Tatsuya, would it be possible for you to answer a couple questions?"

"Probably not," he replied, "but I will answer those that I can."

"Is Tatsuya the Mahesvara?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that."

"So that's a yes?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that."

"The soldiers who came here thought he was."

"Thank you for the information, Ms. Watanabe, but I fail to see how the opinions of terrorists are relevant to anything."

"Oh, on the contrary," someone said, "the opinions of terrorists are always relevant. Their opinions are what drive their actions, after all."

"Identify yourself!" Fujibayashi said sternly to the man who had just entered the room.

"I'm nobody," the man said, "just a servant of my mistress, here to deliver a message."

"Speak, messenger," said Kazama.

"The hunt is on, my mistress says," he replied, "and the Yotsuba will help defend the Magic Association."

This elicited a gasp from the crowd.

"What do you mean by that?" Mari asked.

"I don't know, I'm just the messenger," the man replied. "Though, if I had to hazard a guess, I think it means that the Magic Association is under attack and the Yotsuba are going to go help defend it."

"You say you are a member of the Yotsuba?" Tatsuya asked, speaking up for the first time in forever.

"Yes, and I know who you are, Mr. Shiba, so know that my word is the word of Yotsuba Maya whenever she is not around."

Tatsuya didn't even try to think of an answer; he just whipped out his CAD and decomposed the man into dust.

"Special Officer!" shouted Kazama. "What do you think you're doing?"

"That's one down, many more to go, sir," replied Tatsuya.

"Oh...I see, you want to set your plans in motion now, then?"

"We all do!" Mayumi said, coming to Tatsuya's defense. "This is a great opportunity, seeing as how the Yotsuba forces are going to be out in the open for once!"

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Erika yelled. "You're all talking about stuff that you've kept from us and acting like we aren't here! Just TELL US what you're planning, Tatsuya! Or you, Mayumi! Or you, Major whatever!"

The room was silent for a good ten seconds, everyone awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact with each other - except for one. Mayumi looked straight into Tatsuya's eyes, her gaze pleading with him to tell her the truth.

Tatsuya sighed.

"Sir, may I have permission to completely disregard information control whatsoever?"

"To what purpose, Special Officer?"

"I am tired of keeping secrets from my friends and family, especially my fiancee. Sir."

Now it was Kazama's turn to sigh.

"Well, seeing as we're about to go to war with one of the most powerful - if not _the_ most powerful - organizations in the world, I suppose gaining the trust of your allies couldn't hurt. But, everyone," he said, looking around the room at each individual, "nothing you hear right now leaves this room. Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"I need a verbal confirmation," Kazama said. "Is that understood?"

"Yes," came the resounding reply.

"Well, then, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Special Officer Ooguro Ryuuya, the unregistered Strategic-class Magician of the 101-IMEB and the hero of Okinawa. Remember, none of this information leaves the room."

"Tatsuya...?" Mayumi was the first to speak. "You're...a Strategic-class Magician...? How is that possible?"

"I created a spell that splits the nucleus of atoms in the same way that a nuclear bomb does, and then used it to destroy the Great Asian Alliance fleet at Okinawa," Tatsuya replied. "It stems from my second unique magic, called Decomposition."

"Decomposition?" Mari said. "Is that what you used on those soldiers?"

"...and on that truck?" added Mayumi.

Tatsuya nodded.

"Also - Mayumi, Jumonji, you already know this - but for those of you who weren't at our meeting during the Nine Schools Competition, my father's name is Shiba, but my mother's name was Yotsuba Miya...and after my mother died, her sister, Maya, adopted me."

"What?!" exclaimed Mari. "You're a Strategic-class Magician _and_ a Yotsuba? Just how much have you been keeping from us?"

"A lot, frankly," he replied. "At the conclusion of the Nine Schools Competition, a small party comprised of Mayumi, Jumonji, Ichijou Masaki, Ms. Kudou Shields, Miyuki, and myself decided to declare war on the Yotsuba, since the Yotsuba were ultimately responsible for everything that happened then. We've been preparing for that war for weeks now, and, as Mayumi said, we think now is the best time to strike."

"P-Part of that preparation included proposing to Ms. Saegusa, didn't it?" Honoka asked nervously.

Tatsuya nodded.

"Though, to be fair, he isn't the only one who's kept things from you," Miyuki said, speaking up. "I also got engaged that night."

"Miyuki?" Mizuki said cautiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well...Masaki proposed to me, and I accepted..."

"You mean Ichijou Masaki?" asked Mari. "What's with all of these engagements? First Kanon and Kei, then Mayumi and Tatsuya, now Miyuki and Masaki too? What's wrong with dating someone for a while to see if they're a good fit for you?"

"You don't have to be mad just because my brother hasn't proposed to you," Erika said, sticking out her tongue. "And, anyway, good for you, Miyuki! Where is Masaki, anyway?"

"I've been wondering that myself," Miyuki said. "He contacted me a little while ago, saying that he was going to help out the Magic Association, but I haven't heard from him since."

"I don't think the Magic Association will need any help," Tatsuya said. "Even if the assailants are able to get past their defenses, they'll still have to contend with _her_."

"Her?" asked Mayumi. "You don't mean...do you?"

"Yes," Tatsuya replied. "This is another thing we've learned. The regional director of the Magic Association is a woman named Mei Lin, though you guys would probably know her by the name Merlin."

"Merlin?" said Mari. "As in, the Staff of Merlin that you were researching?"

"Exactly," Tatsuya said. "We've discovered - long story short - that Merlin is the person who essentially created magic, and that her staff uses Relics to create alteration magic."

"Wait a minute, Tatsuya," Mayumi interrupted. "Before the competition, Miyuki and I met your mother, Maya, in this room... She said that she was going to hunt Merlin, so do you think that's why the Yotsuba are helping?"

"That does make sense," Jumonji said. "If Merlin is the regional director of the Magic Association as you say, she'll no doubt be holed up in their vault. Normally, the Yotsuba wouldn't be able to go there, as the Magic Association exists aside from the Ten Master Clans...but if the Yotsuba were to enter under the pretext of defending it from attack..."

"They'd have Japan's entire magical database at their fingertips," Kazama said, finishing Jumonji's thought. "I know that there's still a lot for you to discuss, but with this revelation, I think it's best that we get to work as soon as possible. Special Officer?"

"Hai," said Tatsuya.

"Let's hurry," Sanada said.

"My squad and I will be providing protection and support for the rest of you," said Fujibayashi.

Kazama walked out of the room following Sanada.

"I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense to all of you," Tatsuya said, "but I have to go now. I suggest you stay with Fujibayashi, but if you want to help, make your way to the Magic Association. Work with the Yotsuba as much as you can, but when I give the signal, shoot them in the back."

"We'll do that, Tatsuya," Mayumi said with great resolve. "Maybe then, this'll all finally be over."

"I do hope so," replied Tatsuya. "Miyuki, I don't think I need to tell you...go with them."

"Of course," she said. "Masaki is at the Magic Association, so that's where I'm headed. I'll keep Mayumi safe, too, so you won't have to worry about her."

"Thank you, Miyuki," said Tatsuya with a sigh of relief. "I'll be off, now."

"One more thing..." Miyuki said hesitantly. "You're going into a dangerous battle... It's the least I can do, Tatsuya..."

Tatsuya's eyes widened as he understood what Miyuki wanted to do. He knelt down at her feet as she tilted his head up to look at her.

Gently, she kissed his forehead.

Psions began pouring out of Tatsuya in waves of light, forcing everyone to cover their eyes in order to avoid the pain.

"What the...?" exclaimed Leo.

"Is that...?" asked Honoka.

When the light faded, everyone looked up to see Miyuki looking her brother in the eye.

"Tatsuya...you now have free rein."

"I guess that's one other thing I should mention before I leave," Tatsuya said. "I have a near-infinite Psion count, but most of the time, it's locked away behind a spell called Pledge. Miyuki just released me from that, so I guess it's time for me to show off what I can do when I'm at my best. I'll be off, then."

* * *

 **~Elsewhere in Yokohama~**

"Any sign of her on the battlefield?"

"No, my lady. It's as you predicted - she seems to be hiding in the Magic Association's vaults."

"Excellent. Once we get there, we'll have her pinned down. Did the message get delivered to Kazama, so that he knows not to attack our forces?"

"We haven't heard back from the messenger, but it was reported that he entered the same building where Kazama was meeting with Saegusa Mayumi and Shiba Tatsuya."

"I bet Tatsuya killed him, then," Maya sighed. "Send out a direct order to all of our troops - do not engage Shiba Tatsuya or his allies, no matter what."

"Yes, my lady."


	25. Yokohama Disturbance Part 7

**[Episode 25: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 7]**

While Tatsuya and his friends were destroying the demo devices in the conference center's storage room, Ichijou Masaki had been defending his Third High classmates outside. The attackers had cornered them behind their buses as soon as they emerged, keeping the Third High students from escaping and preventing Masaki from proceeding to the Magic Association. _They had to have known that at least three high-ranking Ten Master Clan children would be in attendance of this event,_ Masaki thought as he used Rupture to kill a couple soldiers. _I wonder if their objective was not only to steal data, but to prevent us from aiding the Magic Association as well? I guess there's only one way to find out._ He pulled the trigger of his CAD, and another soldier dropped to his knees in an explosion of his own blood. Masaki glanced behind him; the Third High students were watching his actions with simultaneous awe, horror, and disgust. Many of the students with weaker constitutions had thrown up at the sight of so much blood, while those who had minor experience with combat did their best to comfort them. If any of them had forgotten why the Ten Master Clans were considered the pinnacle of Japan's magic prowess, well, they didn't need to be reminded any more.

It was safe to say that Masaki had justified his nickname as "the Crimson Prince."

Elsewhere, Lina was helping defend the group of First High students heading for the shelter. They had come under a similar predicament, having encountered soldiers who seemed to be doing their best to keep every magician at the conference center.

"They don't seem to be trying to kill us," Lina said to Kirihara and Hattori as she took cover behind a corner with anti-magician bullets filling the space in which she was previously standing. "If they were targeting us, or even a single individual, they'd send multiple squads and try to overwhelm us with pure force, like they did in the Conference Center. There's just a few soldiers up ahead, and they're doing all they can just to slow us down."

"Why do you think that is, Ms. Shields?" asked Hattori.

"If I had to guess," she said, being interrupted by a spray of gunfire, "they don't want us leaving the Conference Center. They want to keep us contained, isolated from the rest of Yokohama where we can't do any harm."

"Harm to what?" said Kirihara. "Another operation?"

"Are they going for the Magic Association?" said Hattori.

"I think so," Lina replied. "Which means we have to get out of this situation as fast as possible."

"Hai," Kirihara said, using his martial arts skills to dodge the enemy gunfire while being supported by Kirihara. While they were distracting the soldiers, Lina used Parade to appear in the midst of the enemy. The soldiers jumped back in surprise as Lina activated a spell: Muspelheim, used on purpose this time. Hattori and Kirihara took cover as flames engulfed the soldiers, burning up all of their flesh, muscles, and organs, and charring what little remains were left behind.

"You remind me of Shiba, Ms. Shields," Kirihara said, standing up. "Always rushing to be in the middle of things and deceptively powerful. Not to mention that you both wear your bloodlust like a coat. You can't fool me. You've seen combat before, haven't you?"

"And if I have, what of it?"

Kirihara didn't answer. He just turned to face the group that was hiding some distance back in the tunnel.

"Nakajo!"

Azusa, who had been waiting for Kirihara's signal, turned to rally the group.

"The shelter's just up ahead," she said with a smile. "Everybody, hang in there!"

* * *

 **~After Tatsuya's Departure~**

"Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi?"

"What is it, Mr. Jumonji?"

"Would you mind lending me a car?"

"Where are you planning to go?"

"To the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association," Jumonji replied. "I may be just the acting leader, but I still must fulfill my responsibilities as a member of the Master Clan Conference. Also, if Shiba's suspicions are correct and the Yotsuba are planning to storm the Magic Association, I should be present to prevent things from getting out of control while the rest of our group makes its way there."

"Very well," Fujibayashi replied. "Sergeant Tateoka, Corporal Otowa. Escort Mr. Jumonji to the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association."

"Hai."

Meanwhile, Mayumi and the rest of Tatsuya's friends who were still in the Conference Center were deciding how to proceed - but they had some trust issues to work through first.

"So...he's a Strategic-class Magician, and has an unlimited Psion count?" Shizuku said tentatively. "On top of that, he has innate magics that can classify him as a Supernatural Power User? Just who is Shiba Tatsuya, or, should I say, Yotsuba Tatsuya?"

"A god," said Kanon hesitantly. "Before she was murdered, Ms. Hirakawa told us that Shiba - err, Yotsuba - was an omnipotent god who didn't have to follow the normal rules. This must have been what she meant by that...but I never expected him to turn out to be a Strategic-class Magician..."

"Now, now, my brother isn't a god," Miyuki said. "He's really just a tool that other people use...a servant, if you will, bound to a fate he detests..."

"A fate he's trying to change," Mayumi interjected. "Or, at least, that's what will have happened if he gets the drop on the Yotsuba. But to do that, he needs the help of everyone in this room."

"Well, I'm ready!" exclaimed Erika. "Let's head on over to the Magic Association and destroy a Master Clan!"

"Whoa, slow down, Erika," Mari said apprehensively. "Even if we do decide to aid Tatsuya, we can't just abandon the civillians who have taken shelter in the Conference Center, and besides, not all of us are combat-ready. No matter our decision, we should head for the shelter first and make sure all non-combatants are safe before proceeding."

"I agree," said Mayumi. "As much as I want to go fight at my fiance's side, I have a duty to protect the people as a Ten Master Clans member - but, even stronger than the call of the Ten Master Clans is the call of basic humanity. We can't leave our fellow citizens defenseless in their time of need."

"And we certainly can't protect them if we're worring about our own," Suzune added. "Those of us who are not one hundred percent ready to draw blood, and perhaps kill if necessary, should not fight at all; they will only be stumbling blocks if we all traipse off to the Magic Association."

"Fine, fine, I get it!" Erika said impatiently. "There's no need to keep harping about it. Let's just go to the shelter, then!"

"It's decided, then," Mayumi stated. "Mari, go inform the 101st about our plans. Rin, gather all the civillians in the lobby of the conference center. We'll leave from the front doors in fifteen minutes, provided there are no more attacks."

After Mari and Suzune left on their missions, the group started recollecting itself and heading towards the lobby of the conference center. Along the way, people naturally paired up to discuss what they thought of the recent revelations.

"Kei, do you think Shiba is a good guy?"

"What do you mean, Kanon?"

"You know what they say about power...that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely...but from what we've heard, it doesn't sound like Shiba's been corrupted by his power. What do you think?"

"I think that's a question only time can answer, Kanon," Kei replied. "But I think that if Shiba had been corrupted by power, it would be rather obvious...and lethal."

"I guess so..."

"Shizuku?"

"What is it, Honoka?"

"..."

"Is it about Tatsuya?"

"Well...do you think he actually loves Ms. Saegusa, or did he just do that to allyhimself with a Master Clan other than the Yotsuba?"

"It's probably not our place to guess," Shizuku responded. "And I don't know whether to give the answer you want...or the answer I think is actually true."

"Never mind...forget I said anything..."

"Leo?"

"Hmm? What do you want, Erika?"

"Well, you don't have to be a jerk about it!"

"About what?!"

"Never mind, idiot. I was going to ask you...how did those siblings get engaged so fast? I'm glad for them, but it is kind of unnatural..."

"You know what it reminds me of?" said Leo. "A romance manga. Those things always feature rushed romances, because no one wants to read a love story that goes on for volume after volume after volume with no end in sight."

"You read romance manga?!" Erika said gleefully.

"What?! No, I have a sister!"

"Uh...Shibata?"

"Yes, Yoshida?"

"How are you? All of this isn't too stressful, is it?"

"No, it isn't, but thank you for asking!" Mizuki replied with a smile.

"Mayumi?"

"What is it, Miyuki?"

"You're not mad at Tatsuya for keeping more secrets, are you?"

"No, not really. I might have been, had Tatsuya been keeping things from my on his own accord, but since he was bound by military regulations I can't really blame him, now can I?"

"I guess that's true."

"Plus, the things he told me weren't all that bad...not that they ever have been, but it's nice to know that my fiance has the highest Psion count ever recorded. That'll make it easy to persuade my father to endorse our marriage even after this whole mess with the Yotsuba is over."

"Yeah, your children would be rather talented, I'd assume," replied Miyuki. "I'm glad, you know. That this hasn't caused a rift between you two."

"Me too, Miyuki. Though the whole Strategic-class Magician thing did surprise me a little. I guess I suspected that he was keeping something big from me, but I never even considered that possibility."

* * *

 **~An Hour Later~**

Despite Azusa's positivity, the group in the tunnels had only just now come into sight of the shelter; but what they saw wasn't ideal. The skylight above them was blocked out with shadows, undoubtedly created by troops sent to secure the shelter.

"I don't think we have the resources to fight that many in a head-to-head battle," Lina whispered to Azusa.

"We may not have to!" replied Azusa. "Look!"

Lina looked up to see the shadows scurrying away from the skylight. Something about their coordination seemed eerily familiar to the leader of STARS.

"I'll go open the door so everyone can just run straight in!" Azusa exclaimed before darting out into the atrium preceding the shelter.

"Wait, Ms. Nakajo!" cried Lina. "Something doesn't feel right!"

Just then, five microexplosives that had been implanted in the ceiling of the atrium around the skylight detonated, bringing down the entire ceiling on top of Azusa

"Nakajo!" cried Kirihara as he, Hattori, Lina, and about a dozen others rushed to try to find her. They didn't even notice the soldiers surrounding the hole, guns aimed at them.

"Don't move! Drop your CADs and place your hands above your heads!" one of the soldiers cried. "Obey and you won't be harmed!"

"Why, you..." Lina began, reaching for her CAD to activate Parade - but she wasn't fast enough. At least three of the soldiers, if not more, reacted instinctually to her movement and fired a single burst at her arm. The high-speed bullets sliced through everything they touched: CAD, flesh, muscle, and bone. What remained of Lina's forearm fell to the ground.

"I said don't move!" the soldier yelled as a bloody Lina dropped to the floor, unconscious from the pain. "All of you - CADs on the ground, hands on your heads! Now!"

Reluctantly, the remaining students followed the soldier's instructions.

"Now, I want all of you to climb out of that tunnel! Leave your CADs down there. It's either that, or we start shooting and throwing grenades down there - it's your choice. But whatever you do, do it now!"

Kirihara slowly took off his jacket, ripped off a portion, and tied a tournaquet around Lina's arm to stop the bleeding. He then picked Lina up and used the remainder of his jacket to tie her to his back, and proceeded to climb. Hattori and the rest of the students followed...they were too afraid to turn back, as they knew the soldiers would just shoot them in the back as they ran away.

Mayumi and the others had also encountered some trouble on the way to the shelter; one squad that was meant to provide backup to the ones detaining Lina and her group was running a bit late, and so they were attacking Mayumi's group from behind. Having at first decided to hold their ground, but then realizing that they could not effectively fight with so many civillians in their midst, they decided to bade a hasty retreat to the shelter with the soldiers nipping at their tails. They arrived at the shelter to find it surrounded by enemy assailants; and with the soldiers behind them closing in quickly, they had nowhere left to run.

That's when it happened.

The shadows of the enemy soldiers started shifting. They writhed around like snakes in a den, before merging into a large pool above the heads of the soldiers. Out of this pool swarmed dozens of flying magicians in black cloaks, armor, and hoods, each wearing a face mask patterned after traditional Japanese oni. They spread themselves around the area in a circle, a circle which began to rotate. The soldiers, terrified, tried to shoot them; the bullets, however, were lapped up by the shadows before they even got within a meter from their targets.

The shadows then lept towards the soldiers themselves, devouring them whole. The soldiers didn't even have time to scream. As quick as they had come, the magicians retreated back into the pool of shadows, which then closed in on itself and vanished - except for one small speck of darkness, which flew off in the direction of the Magic Association.

"What on Earth was that?" cried Mayumi.

"That was a Yotsuba attack," replied Miyuki. "The genius thing about that attack is that the spell, Shadow Seeker, isn't classified as an attack spell. It's a powerful tracking spell, one that was engineered by the Yotsuba to use human sacrifices to supply the Psions and computational power needed to track down its subject."

"Miyuki...just how powerful _are_ the Yotsuba?" asked Mayumi, terrified.

"Very, very powerful," replied Miyuki.

"Ms. Saegusa!" cried Kirihara as he rushed over to her, still carrying Lina on his back. "Ms. Saegusa! Nakajo was caught in the collapse! She's still down there! They also severly injured Ms. Shields...what are we going to do?"

Mayumi stood in silence for about a second while everyone looked at her for guidance. _What would you do, Tatsuya?_ she wondered. _Prioritize the safety of the noncombatants, probably._

"Mr. Yoshida, is Ms. Nakajo still alive?" she asked Mikihiko, who was already using Spirit Magic to look down into the rubble.

"I-I'm sorry, Ms. Saegusa..." he replied solemnly. Several of the others around them stepped back or cried out in shock. Mayumi closed her eyes for a second, trying hard to fight back tears before regaining her composure.

"Is the underground shelter intact, Mr. Yoshida?"

"Yes, but I can't see a clear path to the entrance, and it looks like a couple of the support columns are severely cracked."

"Thank you, Mr. Yoshida."

"What are you going to do, Mayumi?" asked Fujibayashi.

"The shelter isn't a viable option anymore, and it's too dangerous to try to escape by sea..." she mused. "I'm going to call for helicopters from my father's company. Let's evacuate from the air."

"I'll contact my father, too," said Shizuku.

"More soldiers will come," interjected Mari. "We need a plan for when that happens."

"Here - I have a map of the area," said Fujibayashi. "We should look for choke points, areas where the soldiers will have to pass through, and intercept them before they get here."

"Look - there!" exclaimed Miyuki, pointing to a spot on the map. "The buildings on either side of that street collapsed - I saw it on our way here."

"Over here, too!" said Erika.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," began Mayumi. "We're going to split our fighters up into three groups. Two of the groups will intercept the soldiers, while the third will protect the civilians in case they get past you. The civilians will board Ms. Kitayama's helicopters and will be evacuated to a safe zone outside Yokohama. Those of us who wish to take up arms alongside Tatsuya and defend the Magic Association will board the Saegusa helicopters. Any questions?"

No one had any questions.

"Very well, it's settled," Mayumi said. "One last thing: Mr. Yoshida, Ms. Shibata...I'd like for you two to round up some of the civilians to help retrieve Ms. Nakajo's body to give her a proper burial. Kirihara, leave Ms. Shields in the care of Dr. Asuka. When she wakes up, inform her of the situation. Also...only lend her a CAD if absolutely necessary."

"So, who's on what team?" asked Mari.

"It depends on who volunteers," replied Mayumi. "Keep in mind that the civilian helicopters won't stop to pick you guys up, meaning that if you choose to volunteer, you're also volunteering to help attack the Yotsuba."

Several of the First High students raised their hands.

"Okay," Mayumi said, surveying the pool of choices. "Chiyoda, Isori, Mibu, and Kirihara, you're on Team A, led by Mari. You'll be holding this point here," she said, pointing to the first choke point. "I think you're going to have your hands full, so give your all."

"Hai!"

"Miyuki, you're the leader of Team B. Saijo, Chiba...you're the rest of Team B. I have confidence in your abilities."

"Hey, would you mind not lumping me in with that guy?!" replied Erika angrily. "I train him for ONE DAY and now everyone thinks we're a couple!"

"No one was thinking that, Erika," Shizuku said quietly.

"Who'll defend the shelter?" asked Suzune, bringing the conversation back to its original topic.

"Ms. Kitayama and I will, along with anyone else who's willing to put up a fight," replied Mayumi. "We have to be here to coordinate with the helicopters, so we might as well make the most of it."

"In that case, I'll be happy to leave some of my subordinates with you," said Fujibayashi.

"No, that won't be necessary," Chiba Toshikazu interrupted.

"Inspector!" Fujibayashi said with just a _little_ too much enthusiasm.

"Big Bro Kazu!" exclaimed Erika.

"Eliminating external enemies is the military's job," Toshikazu said, "but it's the police's duty to protect the people. We'll be staying behind. Ms. Fujibayashi... Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi, please rejoin the main unit."

"Understood," she replied. "Inspector Chiba, I'm leaving the rest to you!"

"How hot is that woman?" Toshikazu muttered to himself as Fujibayashi walked away.

"Yeah, in your dreams!" said Erika. "She's not the kind of woman you can handle, Big Bro Kazu."

"You sure you should be giving me that attitude, Erika?" he replied, reaching for the object that he was carrying on his back.

"What do you mean?"

"I did bring you something pretty awesome," he said, holding a purple-clothed sword out to Erika. She grabbed it defiantly, not wanting to admit she was wrong.

* * *

 **~The Enemy Assault Ship~**

"We've lost all contact with the squadrons heading toward the International Convention Center and its parking lot, as well as with the squadrons on their way to secure the shelter."

"Send the mechanized unit ashore immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

 **~Nearby, in Hodogaya~**

A military humvee pulled up to a large transport truck. Tatsuya stepped out and examined the contents of the truck: two dozen obsidian-black combat suits with silver accents that were vastly superior to the design he had used three years ago in the Battle of Okinawa. He set part of his suit on his shoulders; the suit, sensing that it had an occupant, wrapped itself around his body while a helmet engulfed his head.

"The Flying Unit is hidden inside the belt," Captain Sanada reported. "It's bulletproof, heat-resistant, shock-resistant, and resistant to biological and chemical weapons. I've also added a basic power-assist function, just like you designed."

"I can see that it's an upgrade over the plans I drew up," Tatsuya replied.

"All right," said Major Kazama, "I know you just go here, but I'd like you to join Yanagi's unit, Special Officer."

"Understood."

"Oh, and Tatsuya..."

"Yes, Major?"

"If any of those children let your secrets slip, it'll be your responsibility."

"Yes, sir."

Tatsuya activated the Flying Device in his belt and soared into the sky, the heads-up display in his helmet telling him where Yanagi's unit was located. As he was en route, he noticed a few non-Japanese drones scouting the area; deciding to eliminate them, he skyrocketed some distance above them, and disengaged his flying spell. He fell through the air with increasing velocity, and as he approached the first drone, he activated his Contact-type Decomposition.

Tatsuya rocketed through the drone like a hot knife through butter. It exploded in his wake.

* * *

 **~The Enemy Assault Ship~**

"Sir, we just lost contact with the unmanned drone heading for Hodogaya! ...we just lost another drone! And another!"

"What is going on?!" the commander yelled, slamming his fist on his armrest.

* * *

 **~Outside the Shelter~**

"When will the helicopters get here?" asked Suzune.

"They should arrive by 4:30," Mayumi replied.

"Ours should be here around that time, too," said Shizuku.

"So another twenty minutes?" Suzune said in despair. "We'll have to defend the civilians as well as this landing area until then, won't we?"

"Don't worry," replied Mayumi. "Even if the enemy should come, they'll be sure to drive them out."

 _But you guys...don't push yourselves too hard, alright?_ she thought.

While Mayumi had assumed that the first choke point would receive the bulk of the enemy's attention, the soldiers actually reached the second point first. Well, not the soldiers themselves, but the machines they sent in their stead. Miyuki was the first to feel the odd tremor travelling through the earth beneath their feet; as it got stronger, both Erika and Leo felt it as well.

"Here they come..."

Two giant bipedal tanks rounded the corner and charged straight at the group, but Miyuki's Niflheim stopped them cold (pun absolutely intended). Erika lunged at the first tank and destroyed it in a single slice of her personal sword, Orochimaru - the one that had been delivered by Toshikazu. Leo attempted the same manouever...but failed miserably. When he tried to lunge forward like Erika had done, his foot got caught on a rock and caused him to trip; the sudden impact of his head against the ground knocked him out.

"Man, not again!" Erika said, annoyed. "Is he good for anything? If you want something done at all, apparently, you have to do it yourself..."

Erika quickly slashed through the second vertical tank.

Meanwhile, at the first choke point, Toshikazu and Inagaki had joined Kei, Kanon, Kirihara, Sayaka, and Mari, in order to properly defend the area from the supposed onslaught of enemy soldiers. Instead, they were greeted by the same vertical tanks which had just assaulted the second group.

"Here they come," said Kei as the tanks triggered a magical proximity sensor he had set up.

Kanon cast the first spell, according to their plan: mirroring the use of Miyuki's Niflheim, she stopped the tanks from getting too close to the group.

"Now!" she shouted, and Toshikazu - obviously the inspiration for his younger sister - lept over her, magic katana in hand, destroying the first tank in a single slice. Kirihara started running at the second tank, but it had since regained control of its gun emplacements, and began firing at him. Luckily, Sayaka was there to back him up: she threw her sword at a turret while Kirihara threw one of his at the other, destroying both and paving the way for Kirihara to use his Sonic Blade spell to destroy the tank.

As these fights were going on, Tatsuya approached a group of soldiers clad in similar combat suits that were gathered around a destroyed vertical tank, and, upon landing next to them, opened the face mask on his helmet and saluted.

"Hey, Special Officer," Yanagi said, dismissing Tatsuya's salute. "We know exactly who the enemy is now. The design of these tanks felt somewhat familiar, yet strangely foreign, so I just ran it by Sanada and he confirmed my suspicions. Their inner mechanisms have distinct traits from the Great Asian Alliance."

"So the Yotsuba are playing nations against each other?"

"It appears so," Yanagi replied. "Sorry to spring this on you, but there are civilians in the station plaza who've summoned helicopters to get the evacuees out. It was reported to me by Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi that your sister and fiancee are among those defending the civilians. We're going to head for the station now and help with the escape."

"Understood," Tatsuya said with a salute, "and thank you, sir."

Back at the choke points, the assault of vertical tanks had not stopped. After the first two were destroyed, more pairs followed; while it would have been easy for Erika to take care of them if Leo had been there, he was still out cold. _You're no help at all,_ she thought as she sliced through another tank. A tank behind her turned and began firing, but a blast of ice from Miyuki destroyed it. Just then, Leo began to rouse.

"Oh, my head - so what'd I miss?"

"Everything, idiot," retorted Erika. "Miyuki and I took care of these tank things, no thanks to you. You really are useless, aren't you?"

"It was a simple misstep," Leo said, trying to save face. "What's that sound?"

A couple large transport helicopters flew overhead.

"Oh, so the rescue choppers are finally here, huh?" said Erika.

"So our job will be done soon?"

"What do you mean, _our_ job? You didn't do any of the work!"

"Why, you..."

"Guys, pay attention!" said Miyuki as they felt a familiar rumble. "Here comes another one!"

As the two groups kept the vertical tanks at bay, the helicopters approached the station plaza where Mayumi and the civilians were waiting.

"Looks like we'll be getting out of here, right?" said Mayumi. At that moment, her phone buzzed with a message from Yotsuba Maya:

 _Mayumi, meet me around the corner to your right. It's urgent, and I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain. Come quickly. ~Maya_

Puzzled, Mayumi turned and walked towards the corner specified in Maya's message. She didn't see anyone there, so she was about to go back, but then a hand reached out from the shadows and pulled her in.

"I'm sorry for the secrecy, Mayumi, but I can't afford to be seen. I have something for you - another Relic, and a copy of Merlin's staff."

"What are you going to make me do for this one?"

"Nothing, dear, nothing at all. Believe it or not, I actually want you and Tatsuya to be happy. This is just...a backup plan, of sorts. In case anything goes wrong."

"Does it use Rewind? Is this a ploy to get us to change the world for you?"

"No! It doesn't change anything - that's the point of the spell, but I don't have time to explain it. And as for the staff, well, I wouldn't count on Merlin giving hers up. But, here, I have to go, so take these." She hed out both her hands, motioning for Mayumi to do the same.

Mayumi looked at the objects she had been given; one was another transparent, yin/yang-shaped Relic, but this one had a fascinating amber coloration. The other object was a bulky little cylinder with a pendant on the top, in which it looked like two Relics would fit.

"What are these?"

"Well, the Relic is compatible with the green Relic I gave you earlier. That cylinder expands into a staff if you press this hidden button," Maya explained, taking the cylinder and pushing her finger into it. The cylinder expanded into a slender but sturdy staff. "When the time comes, press that button and slam the staff on the ground - but I'd rather you not use this unless it's absolutely necessary. It does carry...certain consequences, but if you're in a situation where you have to use it, the consequences won't matter that much anyway."

"I...I'm not sure what to say, Ms. Yotsuba..."

"Right now? You don't have to say anything. But I've got to go...we should have tea sometime, wouldn't you agree?"

Maya pushed Mayumi back out into the street, and suddenly she was gone as soon as she appeared.

Mayumi walked back around the corner to see Shizuku staring up into the sky, CAD drawn but lowered, with a menacing figure dressed entirely in black hovering above the helicopters.

"Ms. Kitayama! What happened?"

"There were...chemical-controlled locusts, or something...I tried using Phonon Maser to disperse them, but it didn't work...then he showed up, and completely destroyed them..."

"Did he attack us? Is he a Yotsuba?"

"No, they didn't attack...more came after him, and took up a perimeter around the landing zone...as for them being Yotsuba, I don't know...but there's something familiar about the guy who saved us..."

Mayumi looked hopefully at the flying sentinel, and he looked right back at her.

"Tatsuya?"

Suzune and Shizuku turned and looked at her.

"Saegusa, you think that's Shiba?" asked Suzune.

"I'd recognize him anywhere," Mayumi replied.

"Plus, look at his CADs," Mari commented. "He's using dual Silver Horns, which fits Tatsuya's modus operandi to a fault."

"Oh, that's true," added Shizuku. "I hadn't noticed that, but now that you pointed it out, I do see it."

As if to resolve their conversation, the obsidian warrior began descending and addressed the civilian group.

"Please, do not fear us! We are the Self-Defense Force's 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, and we will protect you while you evacuate Yokohama. You are safe now; you can relax."

There was an audible sigh of relief that went up from the crowd, with some of the more enthusiastic members cheering. Of course, they were happy that they were safe, but they were also a little exhilerated by the prospect that Japan had such fearsome and powerful warriors, and that those warriors were actively fighting to protect them. Mayumi, the de facto leader of the group, stepped forward to accept the help of the 101st.

"So, how shall I address you?" she asked, playfully. "Would 'darling' or 'Mr. Yotsuba' be preferable?"

"Neither," replied Tatsuya. "I know it's a bit formal, but please call me Special Officer while I'm in uniform."

"That doesn't look like a conventional uniform to me."

"I'm no conventional soldier. It's as I told you, back at the NSC - I am a living weapon, and this suit is a tool to enhance my combat capabilities."

"How's the fight going?"

"Some of the smaller groups are being driven back, but the main assault on the Magic Association is still continuing," Tatsuya reported. "Up until now, only small reports of Yotsuba activity have been received...nothing significant yet, but we can assume they'll attack when it best suits their plan. Oh, one more thing - these soldiers are from the Great Asian Alliance, so as of now, this is an international incident. Keep that in mind as you fight."

"Thank you, my dearest Special Officer," Mayumi replied with a wink, before a serious expression settled on her face. "I...have a request for you, but it's not directly related to the situation at hand. A-chan... Ms. Nakajo Azusa passed away when the entrance to the shelter collapsed, but we haven't been able to find her body. Could you...?"

"Certainly," Tatsuya replied. He walked over to the collapsed tunnel, where Mikihiko, Mizuki, and their volunteers were still frantically digging. "Please, allow me," Tatsuya said, aiming his Silver Horn at the debris and casting Decomposition. When he was done, Azusa's mangled and distorted body lay on the floor of the atrium in a pile of sand. Mizuki threw up, and Mikihiko had to look away to keep himself from doing so as well, before comforting Mizuki.

"I'll take care of her," said Tatsuya. "Everyone, please look away."

They did so gladly but remorsefully as Tatsuya used Regrowth to make Azusa presentable. He then used magic to raise her out of the tunnel and set her nearby.

"Everyone!" cried Mayumi. "If I could have your attention for a moment - I'd like us all to observe a moment of silence for Ms. Nakajo Azusa, Student Council President of National Magic University Affiliated First High School, who passed away while leading our students to safety."

While no one talked, it was hardly silent; there were many tears shed as recent wounds were reopened. When a minute had passed, and her own tears were done flowing, Mayumi spoke up again.

"Thank you, everyone. Now, please continue evacuating...let's not allow Ms. Nakajo's sacrifice to be in vain."

"I'm sorry, Mayumi," Tatsuya said, walking over to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

"It's not your fault, Tatsuya," Mayumi replied. "But there is one more thing you can do. Ms. Shields was seriously injured while trying to save A-chan...she lost her arm, along with a lot of blood. Kirihara stopped the bleeding, but Dr. Asuka hasn't been able to do much for her with the limited tools that we have available."

"Of course," Tatsuya replied. "Where is she?"

"Dr. Asuka took her to the station terminal, in order to have some peace and quiet."

Tatsuya, still dressed entirely in his obsidian combat armor, walked over to the terminal. When he entered, he saw Dr. Asuka sitting on a couch over to the side, holding Lina's head in her lap as Lina rested. Dr. Asuka looked up as she heard Tatsuya coming.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Relax," Tatsuya said, taking off his helmet. "I'm here to talk with Ms. Shields."

"Mr. Shiba?" Lina said, waking up. "What are you wearing?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "Just rest, and know that you're going to be okay." He aimed his CAD at her and cast Regrowth once again, restoring her arm to perfection.

Mayumi was waiting for him when he walked out.

"Tatsuya, I know how much that hurt you...thank you, thank you so much."

"You don't have to thank me, Mayumi," he replied, putting his helmet back on. "I'd do anything, if you were the one to ask."

"Where was this attitude when I asked you to tell me every secret you have?"

"It was there...it was just buried beneath military protocal and familial obligations."

They looked up as more helicopters were heard in the distance.

"Oh, our helicopters are here too," Mayumi said. "It looks like we'll be joining you at the Magic Association within the hour, if everything goes well."

"I will ensure that it does," said Tatsuya. "I'll see you later...darling."

He took up his post above the landing site once again, being especially careful to watch for enemy attacks.

* * *

 **~Thirty Minutes Later~**

As the helicopters took off, Mayumi looked out the window at Tatsuya, who was standing on top of the train terminal. She formed a heart with her hands, then blew him a kiss, waving as the helicopters departed.

 _That woman..._ thought Tatsuya.

"Ms. Saegusa Mayumi has boarded the helicopter," he reported over his helmet's internal comlink. "It looks like she'll be picking up classmates and underclassmen and then proceeding to the Magic Association."

"Roger that. After confirming that our targets are safe, rejoin the unit."

"Understood."

Tatsuya aimed his Silver Horn at a lone soldier who was aiming a missile launcher at the retreating helicopters. The soldier was wiped from existence, the missile launcher dropping to the ground. _No one threatens my fiancee and lives._

As Tatsuya was getting ready to follow the choppers, Chiba Toshikazu lept up to the rooftop and called out after him.

"Hey, you! Wait a minute!"

Tatsuya turned back around.

"Inspector Chiba Toshikazu," he said. "It's nice to meet the man who has captured the thoughts of Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi."

"I - I'm flattered," Chiba replied, "but just who exactly are you? You must be with the 101st, if you've met Ms. Fujibayashi..."

"That is correct," Tatsuya admitted. "And as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I have a mission to complete."

"W-Wait!" Toshikazu cried. "One more thing! Should I get Fujibayashi flowers or scented candles?"

"I don't know her well enough to answer that," Tatsuya replied truthfully, "though, from the way she talks about you, I'd suggest a ring. Maybe not immediately, but sometime in the near future."

This made Toshikazu blush as Tatsuya flew off into the sunset.

* * *

 **~The Kanto Branch of the Magic Association~**

An organization titled "the Magic Association" would obviously employ combat magicians on its security force, but the GAA soldiers expected every single member to be capable of great feats of magic - they wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, and, over two hours after they launched their attack, they still hadn't been able to breach the volunteer militia's defenses. So they decided to bring out the big guns - magicians of their own, supplemented by vertical tanks and magic phantom-beasts. It was this last category of weaponry that did the most damage and finally gained some ground for the GAA; the spell being a foreign creation, the magicians of the Magic Association didn't know how to effectively fight back. It seemed that for every beast they killed, another took its place: they tore the outer line of defense to pieces.

"R-Retreat!" one magician shouted.

"We're going to retreat and reestablish our defensive line!" another added.

The poorly-equipped magicians began to run back to the safety of the Magic Association, but a powerful voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Don't reatreat!"

Phalanx barriers smashed a lot of the phantom beasts, causing the magicians to turn back and look at the newcomer.

"Stir yourselves, those of you who possess magic!" Jumonji Katsuto shouted. "Defend our motherland from these despicable invaders!"

He had his hand raised - he brought it down, and a Phalanx barrier smashed one of the vertical tanks, rallying the remaining magicians, who rushed back into the battle to drive back the remaining soldiers.

Elsewhere, Ichijou Masaki was fighting similar constructs, but these phantoms were in the shape of soldiers, not beasts. Yet for every one he destroyed, three more were created. _Where's the phantom spell caster?_ he wondered - for if he could find the enemy magician, he could cut off the phantoms at their source. To this end, he activated a special area-of-effect spell on his secondary wrist-mounted CAD. All of the enemy soldiers who weren't casting magic fell to the ground in clouds of steam, clutching their throats as if they were choking. Only one was left standing. _Found him!_ Masaki thought triumphantly. The enemy spell caster tried to run, but Masaki aimed his CAD at him and activated Rupture; the caster exploded, his blood bursting out of him, and with his death the phantom soldiers vanished.

"F-Fall back!" another enemy soldier shouted, having seen what just transpired from a distance. They found themselves caught in a corner, however, with nowhere left to run; desperately, they fired every spell and every bullet they had at Masaki, to no effect. The unit was completely destroyed by the Crimson Prince.

As this was happening, Mayumi's chopper was on its way to the first group. Sayaka was the first to hear it, but they couldn't see the choppers themselves. Then Mari's phone rang, and she answered.

"Mari? I'm going to let down some ropes, so will you grab onto them?"

As Mayumi said this, five ropes dropped down from an apparently invisible chopper. Kanon, Kei, Kirihara, Sayaka, and Mari each grabbed one, and they were hoisted into the helicopter where they found out that Honoka had been continuosly casting an invisibility spell to prevent the helicopter from being seen.

"We'll get the second group next," Mayumi said. "Honoka, if it's too much for you, you can go ahead and disable the spell."

"I'll be alright," Honoka said with a friendly shake of her head.

The choppers reached the second group, where the fighting had died down a bit and become a sort of stalemate; each side was taking cover, only coming out sporadically to keep the other in check. Suddenly, ice crystals materialized in the air and blasted into the GAA troops, providing cover for Erika, Leo, and Miyuki to grab on to the ropes from the chopper...at least, that's what Mayumi had in mind. Instead, Miyuki used the situation to walk out towards the enemy, her unique magic Cocytus at the ready. She made a finger gun and pointed it at the enemy, echoing Tatsuya's destructive finger gun from the Invasion of Okinawa three years ago. Whenever a soldier stepped out from behind cover, she killed them, until at last they decided to all emerge at once; surely she could not kill them all, they thought. But they were wrong. With one snap of her fingers, Miyuki froze the entire lot of them using Cocytus, providing for a very intimidating display.

Miyuki looked up to see Tatsuya hovering far above them, almost out of their sight; but as she watched, she saw him nod, as if to say that she had done a good job. Then he flew off in the direction of the Magic Association, and Miyuki boarded the chopper.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"My lady, still no movement from Merlin. She's kept herself isolated in the vault atop the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association."

"Excellent. Everything is playing out exactly as I planned. Prepare to assault the tower; we'll drive her out yet. Be sure to get in before Tatsuya and his allies do, otherwise explaining our actions will be difficult. Remember, you're not to kill any of his soldiers."

"What of the volunteer militia that's defending the Magic Association?"

"Casualties are a necessity of conflict," Yotsuba Maya replied. "No one will blame us if we avenge their tragic deaths at the hands of the Great Asian Alliance."

"Understood, my lady."


	26. Yokohama Disturbance Part 8

**[Episode 26: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 8]**

Despite the setbacks, the Great Asian Alliance was persistent in their invasion of Yokohama. They very much wanted the information contained within Japan's Magic Association, and would do anything to get it. "Anything" included sending a squadron of armored vehicles and vertical tanks to assist their forces assaulting the Magic Association...but they weren't aware that the 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion knew about their plan.

The commander of one of the tanks knew something was up; the shadows flying past him confirmed his suspicions. He looked up and, seeing nothing, realized that the shadows were caused by objects flying in front of the sun, which was behind the caravan. He turned around and saw a group of obsidian-clad warriors hovering above them; this was the last sight his eyes registered, as a bullet soon pierced his forehead and ricocheted against the tank below him. He slumped over, dead.

"Enemy attack!" someone shouted.

"Wh-Where are they?"

"They're flying in from above!"

"Engage them!"

The flying soldiers landed on the towers surrounding the GAA troops and began raining fire and steel down upon them. A couple tanks were destroyed and the others were in chaos; but one superbly-piloted vertical tank was able to avoid damage and launched into a spinning attack, firing its large machine gun at the flyers. They fell one by one until none were left.

"We've neutralized them," the group's commander said. "Don't let your guard down."

"Roger."

As the smoke cleared, they looked up to see the flying terrors on their feet once again, weapons at the ready. A tank was destroyed, and another tried to avenge it: it shot down two of the enemy soldiers, but as they fell, they revealed a third soldier behind them. He was hovering in midair like an angel of death, holding two silver pistol-shaped CADs and staring daggers at the GAA terrorists. He aimed the CAD in his left hand at the recently-shot troops, and they stood up, free from every wound. The angel flew above the tanks and revived all of his fallen friends before turning his right hand's CAD on the tanks themselves; they disappeared into dust. Those that remained looked up at the mysterious warrior: with the setting sun behind him, the black of his armor appeared darker than ever. He was quite the intimidating sight to behold, especially after the troops remembered who he was.

"Mahesvara..."

* * *

 **~A Little While Later~**

"Wiped out?"

"Based on the reports we received, it seems that they were wiped out in a powerful assault by an aerial unit using Flying-type Magic," the soldier reported. "In addition, we have an unconfirmed report that..."

"What is it?"

"In our communications with the mobile unit, we picked up the word 'Mahesvara'..."

"Mahesvara? That demon of Okinawa?" another soldier said.

"It's just a sick joke," the commander replied.

Meanwhile, Jumonji Katsuto and the volunteer militia from the Magic Association were gaining the upper hand in their fight against the Great Asian Alliance aggressors.

"Drive them back in one blow!" he cried, rallying his troops. They all activated magic sequences, with Jumonji destroying a vertical tank and the militiamen downing many soldiers. The GAA men began to flee, and Jumonji saw the opportunity to crush them once and for all.

"Forward!" he shouted as the militia chased the invaders away.

Then, one of the enemy soldiers' own blood burst out of his body, killing him and terrifying the other terrorists. As the man's bloodless body fell to the ground, another assailant suffered the same fate. Then a tank exploded. The soldiers, deciding that death by Jumonji was better than death by Rupture, turned back and ran towards the Magic Association...but Jumonji had erected his Phalanx barrier to block the entire street, trapping the soldiers. Ichijou Masaki and his militia emerged, firing off spells left and right, destroying the remnants of the attacking force. Once the GAA troops were no more, Jumonji lowered his barrier and both militias made their way back to the Magic Association.

"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Ichijou," Jumonji said as they followed the group back. Jumonji had made it clear that he wanted to talk to Masaki in private.

"My pleasure, Mr. Jumonji," Masaki replied. "We've cut a swath from the convention center to the Magic Association, but the enemy seems to have limitless troops."

"They're coming from a disguised Great Asian Alliance landing craft at the pier," Jumonji explained, "which, apparently, is larger than it appears. But that's not what I wanted to tell you, Ichijou. I have word from Shiba."

"Really?! Is she okay?"

"Ms. Shiba is fine, as far as I know," Jumonji replied. "No, I have a message from Shiba Tatsuya. The Yotsuba family is going to help defend against the invaders, and he wants to obliterate them when they turn their backs on us."

"Why would they do that?"

"Tatsuya thinks the enemy is going to try to storm the Magic Association, and the Yotsuba are going to go in after them. Our forces will hang back and attack from their rear, hopefully destroying them in a single strike."

"If that's true, then we should prepare for a counterattack from the Great Asian Alliance," Masaki surmised. "One with overwhelming firepower, too, if they think they can get past the militia guarding the Magic Association."

"That's why I want to return there as soon as possible," said Jumonji. "If you haven't received any orders from your family, we could use your help."

"You shall have it," replied Masaki.

Elsewhere, Tatsuya's allies were on their way to rendevous with Masaki and Jumonji at the Magic Association.

"What was that spell?" asked Lina, who was examining her arm for any signs of injury. "It's like my arm is brand new! How did Shiba do that?"

"It's called Regrowth," Mayumi replied. "One of Tatsuya's unique magics. He basically reset your Eidos using the Eidos changelog, like he did to me after our incident at the Nine Schools Competition."

"One of, you said?" Lina asked. "You mean he has multiple unique magics?"

"Hai," replied Miyuki. "My brother has three innate unique spells, though he has developed several others that build upon the spells he was born with. Two of his innate ones, though, are Regrowth and Decomposition. Regrowth restores things, Decomposition destroys them."

"Wait a minute..." Lina said, "you mean like Divine Left and Demon Right? Those are the Great Asian Alliance's names for two spells that the unregistered Strategic-class Magician known as the Mahesvara used during the Invasion of Okinawa...is Tatsuya the Mahesvara?"

Everyone eyed each other for a second, unsure of how to respond.

"Put it this way," said Mayumi, "Tatsuya is as much the Mahesvara as you are Angie Sirius."

Lina blushed.

"O-Oh...so, you know about that?"

Everyone nodded.

"Is that why you haven't given me a replacement CAD since mine was destroyed?"

"Hai," replied Mayumi. "A time of chaos like this would be the perfect situation for a foreign agent to conduct espionage or sabotage against Japan, and I'm afraid as a member of the Ten Master Clans that I can't allow any possibility of that happening."

"I understand, Ms. Saegusa," Lina replied. "And, to be honest, I have to thank you for saying that. It gives me an excuse to do nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my mission was to ascertain the identity of the Mahesvara and eliminate both him and anyone who was close to him," Lina replied. "But I really didn't want to do that, and now, I actually can't since I don't have a CAD."

"Hold on," Mari interrupted, "you're saying that you would go through with it if you had a CAD?"

"It would be my job to do so," said Lina. "I wouldn't like it, but that's never stopped me before."

"That's a laugh!" Miyuki interrupted. "Like you could ever kill Tatsuya! Not only is he practically indestructible, he can recover any damage taken in an instant with Regrowth. But he wouldn't even have to do any of that, because he'd just quickly eliminate you with Decomposition."

"Not if I used Parade, he couldn't!" Lina said boastfully.

"You say that because Parade changes your Eidos data, making it impossible for magic to target you," Miyuki replied, "but Tatsuya can see into the Idea Dimension itself. It's his third innate spell, called Elemental Sight. If he was truly trying to kill you, he'd simply track your real body through the Idea Dimension."

"That's how he knew that truck was coming earlier, wasn't it?" asked Mayumi.

"It's also probably how he's able to read and edit magic sequences as they're being cast," Mari surmised.

"Hirakawa Chiaki said that he could see everything," Kanon said tenatively. "If he is near-omniscient, has an unlimited Psion count, and can both destroy life or restore it on a whim, what's to stop Tatsuya from becoming a god?"

"He can't change what he sees," Miyuki said. "At least, not on a god-like level. Alteration magic, as you know, does not practically exist, even for Tatsuya. But there is one person who has been known to use Alteration..."

"...Merlin," said Mayumi, finishing Miyuki's sentence. "But what does she have to do with anything?"

"She essentially created magic, right?" asked Isori Kei. "If that's true, then she can do anything she wants."

"What do you mean, Kei?" asked Kanon.

"Well, if Merlin created magic, then she obviously has an understanding of it which most people lack," he explained. "And since she can use Alteration magic, she should be able to cast Alteration magic on herself to enable her to use whatever ability she wants."

"That's a scary thought," said Mayumi. "But the threat right now is Yotsuba Maya...I think...at least, the Yotsuba family is a threat. I actually want to keep Maya alive so that she can answer some questions of mine."

"Me too," said Miyuki. "I know Tatsuya will understand."

 _Who knew Tatsuya was so powerful?_ Lina thought. _Though it sounds like Merlin is more powerful than even him...if either of them ever turned against the USNA, it'd be my fault...I've got to do something..._

"We're about fifteen minutes out from the Magic Association," the pilot reported. "It's being reported that Jumonji Katsuto and Ichijou Masaki have formed a volunteer army to help defend the tower, and have driven back the assailants."

"I wouldn't expect any less of my Masaki," Miyuki said happily.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

"We will now launch Phase Two of our operation," said Chen Xiangshen. "The information contained within the vault of the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association is worth a hundred of those Relics. Let's go!"

"Sir, apparently two members of the Ten Master Clans - children, at that - have completely driven away or killed our armored forces in that area."

"I understand," Xiangshen replied. "But with Yotsuba Maya on our side, we have nothing to worry about."

The armored truck in which they were riding stopped a few hundred meters before the entrance to the Magic Association.

"Now, we wait," said Xiangshen.

Jumonji and Masaki had heard the truck coming, and they had also heard it stop.

"They aren't attacking us," said Jumonji as the militia drew their CADs. "Why, I wonder?"

"Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements," replied Masaki. "I'm sure we left a big impression on them."

"It wouldn't hurt for us to wait for reinforcements as well," Jumonji mused. "I've gotten word that Ms. Saegusa, Ms. Shiba, Ms. Shields, and Ms. Watanabe, among others, are headed here in a chopper. They'll arrive in about ten minutes."

"Miyuki's coming here?" Masaki said excitedly. "I hardly got to see her at the competition...if she's here, then we're sure to win!"

Just then, the evening sky started darkening around them.

"What's going on?" cried one of the militiamen as a beam of light cut him in half.

"No...it can't be..." said Jumonji. "If this is what I think it is, then Yotsuba Maya really is behind everything that's happened...everyone! Get behind me!"

Jumonji made his Phalanx barrier as big as he could and placed it in front of the group, but it didn't help. Tiny balls of light formed in the air around the group, which then spouted streams of pure light. They pierced the militiamen until all of them, save Masaki and Jumonji, were dead.

"Yotsuba Maya!" cried Ichijou Masaki. "We know you're here! Come out and face us!"

Masaki noticed movement in his peripheral vision. He looked to his right, and there was Yotsuba Maya standing before him; she was smiling, which normally would seem cruel and sadistic, but Masaki couldn't help but feel she was smiling at him instead of at the carnage she'd wrought.

"It's nice to meet you, Ichijou Masaki," said Maya. "I know my niece cares for you a lot, and you for her as well, so I'm not going to make this as painful as it could be."

The sky darkened again, and Jumonji placed his Phalanx barrier in between Masaki and Maya.

"My, my, Mr. Jumonji," Maya said sarcastically. "How am I ever going to get around your impenetrable Phalanx? Perhaps...like this?!"

A beam of light pierced the Phalanx in its very center and struck Jumonji in the chest before moving downward, nearly severing his body in two. He fell to the floor, bleeding profusely, as Masaki ran over and knelt by him.

"Jumonji! Jumonji, stay with me!"

"M-M-Masaki..." he said, coughing up blood, "p-p-protect...M-M-Miyuki..."

"You must not have known how my Meteor Stream works, Mr. Jumonji," Maya said, looking down at the dying warrior. "It rewrites Eidos data to say that light is occupying the same space as whatever molecule was there previously...like, for example, your body. It essentially forces the molecule to become gaseous, since gases are the only form of matter with one hundred percent transparency."

"I'm going to kill you!" cried Masaki, aiming his CAD at Maya and readying Rupture.

"As much as I like you, Masaki, I can't have you interfering with my plans," said an unafraid Maya as the sky darkened once again. Four pinpricks of light formed around Ichijou Masaki as Maya smiled ominously.

* * *

 **~A Couple Minutes Later~**

"Roger that."

Xiangshen got off the phone and turned to the bus driver.

"It's clear for us to proceed. Yotsuba Maya has held up her end of the bargain."

The truck revved its engine, then drove up to the entrance of the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association. The squadron of soldiers within disembarked and took up defensive posts around the building, while two more trucks arrived and sent soldiers inside to secure every floor of the tower.

Chen Xiangshen stepped out of the truck and saw Yotsuba Maya standing over two corpses in a pool of blood, one dressed in the all-to-familiar white and green uniform of First High, and one in the red and black attire of Third High. Neither was moving, and as Xiangshen got closer, he saw that the Third High student's limbs had all been sliced off, but the wounds had been bandaged to preserve his life.

"Someone you care about?" he asked, motioning to the Third High student.

"Someone my niece cares about," Maya replied. "If you kill him, our deal's off."

"My men shall do nothing to shorten his life," Xiangshen pledged. "Now, shall we go see the spoils of our endeavor?"

"Gladly," said Maya, taking Chen's arm.

They walked past rows of soldiers to the elevators in the center of the building and got in.

"Mr. Xiangshen...thank you for your assistance," said Maya as she cast Meteor Stream once more.

Yotsuba Maya stepped out of the elevator, leaving a slumped-over Chen Xiangshen behind. She entered the main offices of the Magic Association and, eyeing the large vault door opposite her, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Soon, this will all be over," she said to herself.

Maya walked over to the large circular steel door and used Meteor Stream to cut it off its hinges. The two-ton door fell to the floor with a loud thud and rolled off to the side. Maya looked inside to see a woman in a dark blue pantsuit sitting alone at a desk in the center of the room, twirling a staff in one hand.

"Hello, Merlin."

"Ah, Yotsuba Maya. I was wondering how long it would take you to work up the courage to confront me."

"This has nothing to do with courage, Merlin, and you know it. I was merely biding my time until I found a scenario that I liked better than anything else."

"Oh, is that why you kept resetting the timeline? Trying on different histories, seeing what fitted best? Are you sure you weren't just stalling to try and obtain more power for yourself?"

"What, like you're doing right now, Merlin? We both know I'm the more powerful magician."

"Really? I'm surprised at your hubris, Maya. To think that you consider yourself to be more powerful than the person who is responsible for your powers in the first place."

"Ah, but that's just it, Merlin. You aren't responsible for all of my powers. You may have experimented with the Yotsuba family genetics, but there's a couple things I have which you lack."

"Oh, and what would those be?"

"Children. I have plans for Tatsuya and Miyuki, and I can't allow you to interfere with their futures."

"But Tatsuya isn't really your child, is he? You simply picked up the leftovers from your dead sister's marriage."

"But I love him as if he were my own!" Maya cried suddenly. "I see myself in Tatsuya...we were both scarred by my sister's actions, but I want him to succeed where I failed."

"Isn't Tatsuya planning to go against the Yotsuba, though?" asked Merlin. "Surely, as the family head, you can't ignore that, can you?"

"Tatsuya is the Yotsuba's future. Surely you are aware of how overwhelmingly powerful he can be once he reaches his full potential."

"Hmm, yes..."

"Everyone else in the Yotsuba, except for Miyuki and myself, are weak compared to him. If they can't resist his attacks, then they don't deserve to live. The Yotsuba isn't merely a family, after all: it's our genetics and societal standing that really count, and if Tatsuya marries into the Saegusa family and seizes power, his children will be the true heirs to the Yotsuba name. They'll be absurdly powerful both in magic and society. And once we rule Japan, the world is next."

"That's all you want? To rule the world? How boring. I thought your plans would be more entertaining than that."

"Well I'm sorry to have disappointed you," said Maya, "but don't worry, you won't have to feel sad for long. In fact, pretty soon you won't be feeling anything."

"Too bad. I kinda liked you, Yotsuba Maya. Well, let's get this over with," said Merlin, standing up from her desk. She slammed her staff on the ground, and the vault door appeared back in its place. Merlin smiled as the room began to darken from Meteor Stream.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Later~**

"Ms. Saegusa, we've arrived at the Magic Association, but I can't make contact with Mr. Jumonji or Mr. Ichijou," the pilot reported. "It also appears..."

The pilot stopped speaking as bullets riddled the underbelly of the chopper.

"The enemy has overrun the Magic Association's defenses!" the pilot cried. "We're under attack!"

"Honoka! Make us vanish!" Mayumi said.

"Hai!"

"Pilot! Take us down to where we can jump out, and use the chopper as a shield!"

"Hai!"

"Miyuki! Can you construct a wall of ice to cover our exit?"

"Will do!"

Miyuki activated her CAD and built a towering wall of ice around the landing zone, confusing the GAA troops. The invisible helicopter set down inside it, and Tatsuya's makeshift army disembarked. The enemy soldiers had started shooting at the wall to try to break it, but the ice was as solid as steel.

"Miyuki, can you take them out?" asked Mayumi.

"Maybe, but it would be risky," Miyuki replied.

"Look! Over there!" Mari cried, pointing at a red spot on the concrete.

"I can't quite see...what is it?" said Mayumi.

Miyuki opened a hole in the ice to get a better view.

"It's Masaki and Jumonji!" she cried upon seeing her beloved fiance lying on the ground. Miyuki jumped out of the hole and ran over to Masaki.

"Miyuki, wait!" yelled Mari. "It's not safe!"

Miyuki fell to her knees and constructed a dome of impenetrable ice around her and Masaki as dozens of black-clad warriors emerged from the shadows and annihilated the Great Asian Alliance soldiers...but Miyuki wasn't paying attention to the Yotsuba attack; her sole focus was on Masaki.

"Masaki, wake up! Wake up, please!"

Miyuki was in tears; she couldn't stand the sight of Masaki's limbless, bleeding body.

"M-Mi..."

Miyuki saw Masaki's eyes flicker and his mouth move slightly, as if he was trying to say something.

"Miyuki..." he whispered, barely opening his eyes. "Maya...killed...Jumonji... Couldn't...stop..."

"Shh, shh," she said, holding his head in her lap. "It's okay, Tatsuya's on his way and he'll restore your body. It's okay, Masaki, you're going to be okay..."

Miyuki's sobs prevented her from comforting Masaki. She clutched his head to her chest as her tears flowed down her face and over Masaki's in waves of icy pain.

"You...you're going to be alright," she said in between episodes of gut-wrenching sadness.

"Miyuki..." Masaki whispered, obviously putting his full effort into speaking. "I...l-love..."

Miyuki clutched Masaki even tighter, tight enough so that she could feel his fragile breath on her neck...until she didn't.

Miyuki didn't stop crying for fifteen minutes, and even then only because her tear ducts had been completely drained of their morose oceans. When she looked up, the Yotsuba army was standing around her ice dome in a circle, kneeling in respect for her loss.

Miyuki dissolved the ice with a wave of her hand, staring contemptfully at the soldiers around her.

"Miyuki, are you okay?!" cried Mayumi from behind the wall of ice. "The Yotsuba are here to help...they said they'd cleared the building, but didn't find anyone. Miyuki, are you there?"

Miyuki didn't answer. She simply stood up and surveyed the masses around her.

 _Perfect,_ she thought. _Like lambs to a slaughter._

Miyuki snapped her fingers and activated her area-of-effect version of Cocytus, her spell that "froze" people's Eidos for eternity. The Yotsuba army lost all color in their faces one by one as the spell took hold and killed the lot of them.

* * *

 **~Elsewhere~**

The 101-IMEB had pushed back many of the armored vehicle divisions to the pier where the landing craft had docked, destroying many vehicles and killing many enemy soldiers along the way. Tatsuya himself played no small part in this victory, as his Decomposition was the cause of death for the majority of the enemy units. Just as a final squad had been defeated and was in full retreat, the assault ship began to retreat as well.

"Captain Yanagi! Should we pursue them?" asked a soldier.

"Leave the stragglers to the backup unit," Yanagi replied. "We're launching a direct assault on the enemy ship."

"Captain Yanagi, please refrain from any direct attacks on the enemy ship," Fujibayashi said over the comlink.

"Fujibayashi, what's the deal?"

"The enemy ship is equipped with hydrazine fuel batteries," she replied. "If we were to damage the vessel in Tokyo Bay, the adverse effects on marine life would be too severe."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"Fall back, Yanagi," said Major Kazama.

"Commander?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Kazama said. "This doesn't mean the end of the operation. Let the Tsurumi and Fujisawa units handle the sweep of the enemy remnants, and proceed to the helipad atop the Magic Association tower. Oh, and Tatsuya?"

"Yes, Major?" said Tatsuya.

"Your operation was successful. The majority of the Yotsuba have been eliminated. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

 **~An Hour Later~**

Tatsuya, Major Kazama, Captain Sanada, and Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi were standing near the edge of the helipad which crowned the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association. They were joined by Mayumi and a shaken Miyuki, who had come to report on the secondary mission.

"How did the sweep operation go?" asked Kazama.

"We're more or less done," replied Fujibayashi. "There's still some sporadic fighting going on, but that should die down some time tonight."

"What about the enemy vessel?"

"It's heading south down Sagaminada at thirty knots. It's approximately halfway between the Boso Peninsula and Oshima. There should be no issues if we sunk it there."

"And the Yotsuba?"

"I killed them all," Miyuki said solemnly as Mayumi put her arms around Miyuki's shoulders. "Maya killed Masaki in order to get into the Magic Association, so I killed every single Yotsuba soldier in return."

"And what of Yotsuba Maya?"

"We found Chen Xiangshen's body in the Magic Association elevator, but there was no sign of Maya," reported Mayumi. "We also searched the vault in the main office...it was empty, but there were signs that someone had been there."

"We'll worry about that some other time, Ms. Saegusa," replied Major Kazama. "Thank you for your help. In return, I'll let you stay and see something amazing."

"Thank you, sir."

"Unlock the Third Eye seal," said Kazama, handing a keycard to Captain Sanada, who took it without hesitation.

"Roger."

He inserted it into a slot on a large black case.

"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form."

"Password confirmed," a computer said as several locks disengaged and the case opened, revealing a large, black, rifle-shaped CAD which Sanada picked up and handed to Tatsuya.

"Special Officer Ooguro," said Kazama, "sink the enemy vessel using Material Burst."

"Roger that."

Tatsuya walked to the edge of the platform and aimed the Third Eye at the horizon as Fujibayashi pulled up a video feel on her phone.

"Establishing a link with the surveillance camera in the stratosphere," she said.

Tatsuya used Elemental Sight on the video feed to target a single drop of water on the deck of the fleeing assault ship.

"Material Burst...activate," he said, pulling the trigger.

"Just as we thought, the Japanese military didn't return fire," a soldier onboard the ship reported.

"Hmph...as if those people had that kind of guts," retorted the commander.

"Perhaps they feared a hydrazine spill?"

"Same difference," the commander said. "They're so caught up in their hypocritical concern for the environment that they'll meekly allow the enemy to retreat. Don't ever forget this. We're going to pay you back for this humiliation twofold!"

Suddenly, alarms started going off.

"What's going on?"

The first mate didn't have time to answer, as the ship was consumed in a ball of pure energy.

"Confirming an explosion on the same coordinates as the enemy vessel," Fujibayashi reported. "Due to the explosion, unable to confirm the situation at this time, but we can infer that the vessel has been sunk."

"Any risk of a tsunami?" asked Tatsuya.

"We're good," replied Fujibayashi.

"We were able to achieve pinpoint focus on a fifty cubic millimater drop of water from approximately 800 meters away," said Sanada. "Third Eye has lived up to its design."

"Good work," said Kazama.

"Yes, sir," replied Tatsuya.

Just then, Fujibayashi received an alert on her phone.

"We've received word from GHQ! The Great Asian Alliance is now gathering in Zhenhai Naval Port. We're being ordered to deal with them at the Geojedo Base."

"I don't think you're going to have time for that."

Everyone was surprised by the unfamiliar voice...everyone, that is, except for Tatsuya and Miyuki. The group turned around to see Merlin walking toward them, dragging a bruised and battered Yotsuba Maya behind her. Coming to a stop several meters in front of the group, she threw Maya in front of her and slammed her staff on the ground for effect.

"She looks different," Miyuki whispered.

And she did. Merlin was wearing the same blue pantsuit as always, but gilded trim had appeared along the edges; her hair, as black as the midnight sky, was floating in the air as if Merlin was swimming, and Miyuki could swear she saw stars within it.

"Identify yourself!" said Fujibayashi, drawing her CAD and preparing a spell.

"I think you need to learn a lesson," said Merlin, pinpricks of light forming in her pitch-black hair.

"But...that's...Meteor Stream!" exclaimed Mayumi. "That's Maya's unique magic! How can you use it?"

"I created Meteor Stream, girl," said Merlin before sending beams of light to dissect Fujibayashi, who fell over in a pool of blood. This caused everyone to draw their CADs and point them at Merlin.

"Merlin!" yelled Tatsuya, aiming his Silver Horn Trident at her, with Baryon Lance ready and waiting to be cast. "Drop the staff and surrender!"

 _This is Merlin?_ thought Mayumi.

"You don't know how out of your depth you are, Tatsuya," said Merlin. She tapped her staff on the ground again and vanished, appearing directly behind Tatsuya. As fast and resilient as he was, he didn't stand a chance against Merlin, who had teleported instantaneously behind him; with one chop of her hand, Tatsuya fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Tatsuya!" cried Mayumi and Miyuki, but Merlin was gone again.

This time, she appeared back behind the group, and tapped her staff again. A magic sequence washed over everyone, and they turned to face Merlin.

"You're going to pay for that, Merlin!" said Miyuki, snapping her fingers to use Cocytus.

But nothing happened.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you trying to cast your unique magic?" Merlin said tauntingly. "I just used Alteration magic to remove your brain's ability to translate a certain Activation Sequence into a Magic Sequence. So no more casting Cocytus for you, I'm afraid."

"What do you want, Merlin?" asked Mayumi angrily.

"What do I want?" she said, implying that everyone should have known what she wanted. "All I ask for is a little excitement. Just a little action to make my life less boring. So, imagine my surprise when someone other than me resets the timeline using my staff!"

"What?"

"Ms. Yotsuba Maya here figured she needed a do-over," said Merlin, grabbing Maya by the hair and shoving her toward the ground. "So she stole my staff and began experimenting, trying to get the perfect life for her dear Tatsuya. How many times did she reset things? Fifteen? Sixteen? Honestly, I can't remember at this point. Meanwhile, there I am, wondering what it's all for, when all of a sudden she waltzes into my office today and tells me to get lost. Long story short, she wants Tatsuya's kids to take over the world or something like that."

"That's insane!" said Mayumi.

"I know, it's so boring, right?" agreed Merlin. "So, after she revealed that she was no more interesting than anyone else in this dreaded country, I decided to destroy the country and watch what happened. So here I am, ready to destroy Japan once and for all."

"H-How are you going to do that, Merlin?" asked Mayumi, as she glanced over at Major Kazama to make it clear that she was stalling for time.

"I'm going to use Tatsuya's Material Burst on every atom in the top inch of topsoil in Japan, of course!" Merlin said as if it made perfect sense. "You've all seen what it can do, so I'm sure you're picturing in your minds what it's going to look like."

"T-The staff..." muttered Maya, and Kazama made eye contact with Sanada, who nodded slightly before giving one last look at Fujibayashi's sundered corpse.

Sanada rushed at Merlin and tackled her to the ground, wrapping his hands around her neck and squeezing with all his might. As he did this, Kazama grabbed Merlin's staff and threw it off the edge of the Magic Association tower into the sea of buildings below.

Merlin smiled as beams of light eviscerated Sanada, whose dead body she pushed off to the side as she rose to her feet.

"You didn't really think that I needed some old CAD to cast magic, did you?" she said, laughing, before her Meteor Burst mutilated Major Kazama as well. "I just kept that thing around for appearances!"

"Other...staff..." Maya muttered, and Mayumi realized what she meant.

"Well, here goes nothing," said Merlin.

Merlin snapped her fingers, and the entire countryside looked like it was covered in snow...Mayumi realized that it was the beginning of the same ball of energy which had destroyed the assault ship.

Quickly, Mayumi grabbed the cylinder which Maya had given her, pressed the button to turn it into a staff, and slammed it on the ground.

Mayumi saw the pendant on top of the staff start spinning faster and faster, becoming a ball of light itself.

She saw tendrils of light reach out from the pendant and wrap themselves around herself, Miyuki, and the unconscious Tatsuya.

She saw a magic sequence wash over Maya and then Merlin, and she saw Merlin stumble and fall to the roof.

She saw in the distance many balls of light growing bigger and bigger.

She thought of all of her friends who she'd never see again: A-chan, Rin-chan, Mibu Sayaka, Erika and Leo, Hanzo, Mikihiko and Mizuki, Jumonji…Mari...

She thought of Tatsuya...then everything went white.


	27. Epilogue

**[Epilogue]**

Mayumi opened her eyes and sat up.

The scene around her was horrendous in its emptiness.

There was no "Japan" anymore. Detonating unknown amounts of nuclear bombs across every inch of the country had completely obliterated it, and the sea had rushed in to fill the hole. There was nothing but water as far as the eye could see.

Suddenly scared, Mayumi looked down to see what she was laying on, and was shocked to see that she was in the center of a perfectly-preserved column of the Magic Association tower; it wasn't the whole tower, but apparently part of it had been saved by the same spell which saved her.

Mayumi heard a sound to her left, and looked to see Miyuki sitting up as well. Tatsuya, still unconscious, was laying beside her.

Mayumi crawled over to them.

"What happened, Mayumi?"

"Your aunt...she gave me a staff and a relic at the train station...said it was a contingency plan, to be used in case of an emergency...I think it saved us somehow..."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know...she said it would come with serious consequences, but I have no idea what those are..."

"Could it be like my Cocytus?"

"What do you mean?"

"Could it have 'frozen' our Eidos data to prevent it from changing? Kinda like a supercharged data fortification spell...the consequences would be that you're permanently 'frozen' in the same location, practically brain-dead, until the spell ends..."

"That would explain why we're unharmed, and why a portion of this building still stands, but not how we're awake right now," said Mayumi. "Never mind that. How's Tatsuya?"

"He's still out. I don't know what she did to him, but Merlin...wait, Merlin! Where is she?!"

They looked and saw Merlin standing over at the edge of the platform, gazing wistfully at the sunset.

"Miyuki, if she has that much power, we can't let her escape and destroy another country," Mayumi whispered.

"I know, but what can we do about it?"

"Your Cocytus spell...can you cast it on her?"

"Not since she took away my ability to cast it, no."

Mayumi sighed.

"Well, then there's only one option left," said Mayumi dejectedly. "I'll use the staff on her, and that'll have to serve as a substitute Cocytus."

"No, Mayumi, that's a suicide mission! You won't be able to escape! You'll be frozen with her!"

"I know, Miyuki!" Mayumi yelled in an uncharacteristic expression of anger, before breaking down into tears. "I know! But it's the only way I can protect you and Tatsuya!"

 _She's right,_ thought Miyuki.

Mayumi crawled over to Tatsuya and laid down next to him.

"Tatsuya...I know you can't hear me, but know that I love you and that I'm doing this so that you can live."

Mayumi pressed a tender kiss to Tatsuya's lips and embraced him, sobbing.

"Goodbye, Tatsuya..."

"What?" Mayumi sat up to see Miyuki running towards Merlin, staff in hand. "No, Miyuki!"

"It's okay, Mayumi," Miyuki said, stopping to give one last look at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "I've made my peace with this. Like you said, it's the only way to protect you both. I'm not going to lose either of you like I lost Masaki."

And with that, Miyuki turned and continued running towards Merlin.

"You won't cause any more pain!" she shouted, slamming the staff down and watching the pendant start spinning.

Merlin turned around, shock and fear written on her face.

"No, Miyuki, wait! It's not what it looks-"

They both froze in place as the tendrils of light wrapped themselves around Miyuki and Merlin.

Mayumi watched the color slowly drain from their faces as they lost consciousness.

Suddenly, a bright light erupted from Tatsuya...pure Psions, flooding outwards in powerful waves.

 _The seal on his abilities has been broken,_ Mayumi thought. _That means Miyuki really is d-d-dead..._

The torrent of Psions slowly waned, and Tatsuya opened his eyes and sat up.

"What happened, Mayumi?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, it's all done now! That wraps up "Seperate Ways!" I hope you enjoyed it, and if you didn't, well, thank you for reading through the entire thing.**

 **I'm sure some of you are wondering about the future of Seperate Ways. I know I've mentioned in the reviews that I might be rewriting some of it, but if that happens, it won't be on a set schedule. It'll probably be a chapter here and a chapter there, mostly at my leisure. But I will go in order, starting with Episode 1. Changes will probably include better dialogue, better consistency, and better explanations of in-universe mechanisms. I'll also probably throw in a nod to Merlin in the first and second arcs to make that its own story arc.**

 **If, by some chance, I find myself too lazy to do that (which, to be frank, is very possible), I am thinking of writing a sort of sequel to Seperate Ways, about the lives of the descendants of Tatsuya and Mayumi following the destruction of Japan (I'm talking decades in the future) and dealing with the mysterious return of Merlin. It would be almost entirely OCs with original plots and dialogue, so if you're one of those people who complained about Seperate Ways being a verbatim rewrite of the anime, you're in luck.**

 **Please keep in mind though...neither of those options are high on my to-do list. I do have plans for other projects, specifically an Elder Scrolls character journal, a Death Note murder mystery, and an Aldnoah ZERO horror story. Check my profile page in the future for more updates on those!**

 **Finally, I would once again like to thank you, the reader, for sticking with Seperate Ways through till the end, and I hope to see your reviews on my future fanfics. See you next time!**

 **~MC**


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